Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025: All Players Bought at Auction
The Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 mini-auction, held on August 9, 2025, in Kathmandu, saw 37 domestic players picked by the eight franchise teams to complete their squads for the second season of the T20 tournament, set to take place from November to December 2025. Each team retained 6–7 players from the 2024 season and filled the remaining domestic slots through the auction. Below is the complete list of domestic players bought at the auction, organized by team, along with their respective auction prices (in Nepali Rupees). Overseas players are not included, as their signings are pending or unconfirmed.
1. Biratnagar Kings
Retained Players:
- Sandeep Lamichhane (Marquee)
- Lokesh Bam
- Pratish GC
- Bashir Ahmad
- Naren Bhatta
- Subash Bhandari
Auction Buys:
- Surya Tamang (10 lakh)
- Narayan Joshi (5 lakh)
- Sahil Patel (5 lakh)
- Shankar Rana (5 lakh)
- Sharwan Kisku (2 lakh)
2. Chitwan Rhinos
Retained Players:
- Kushal Malla (Marquee)
- Rijan Dhakal
- Deepak Bohara
- Amar Singh Rautela
- Gautam KC
- Kamal Singh Airee
Auction Buys:
- Arjun Saud (15 lakh)
- Dev Khanal (15 lakh)
- Bipin Rawal (5 lakh)
- Ranjeet Kumar (2 lakh)
- Bipin Acharya (2 lakh)
3. Janakpur Bolts
Retained Players:
- Aasif Sheikh (Marquee)
- Anil Kumar Sah
- Subash Khakurel
- Kishore Mahato
- Lalit Rajbanshi
- Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar
- Rupesh Singh
Auction Buys:
- Mayan Yadav (7.75 lakh)
- Sachin Bhatta (2 lakh)
- Aaditya Mahata (5 lakh)
- Bikash Aagri (5 lakh)
4. Karnali Yaks
Retained Players:
- Sompal Kami (Marquee)
- Gulshan Kumar Jha
- Nandan Yadav
- Arjun Gharti
- Dipendra Rawat
- Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri
- Bipin Prasad Sharma
Auction Buys:
- Pawan Sarraf (15 lakh)
- Yuvraj Khatri (10 lakh)
- Deepak Prasad Dumre (2 lakh)
- Imran Shekh (2 lakh)
5. Kathmandu Gorkhas
Retained Players:
- Karan KC (Marquee)
- Rashid Khan
- Dipesh Kandel
- Bhim Sharki
- Pratik Shrestha
- Shahab Alam
Auction Buys:
- Mohammad Aadil Alam (15 lakh)
- Aakash Tripathi (7 lakh)
- Santosh Yadav (10 lakh)
- Uttam Rangu Thapa Magar (3 lakh)
- Tul Bahadur Thapa (2 lakh)
6. Lumbini Lions
Retained Players:
- Rohit Paudel (Marquee)
- Sundeep Jora
- Bibek Yadav
- Dinesh Adhikari
- Abhisesh Gautam
- Tilak Bhandari
Auction Buys:
- Dilip Nath (10 lakh)
- Durgesh Gupta (5 lakh)
- Sher Malla (10 lakh)
- Aadil Khan (2 lakh)
- Bishal Patel (5 lakh)
7. Pokhara Avengers
Retained Players:
- Kushal Bhurtel (Marquee)
- Aakash Chand
- Trit Raj Das
- Bipin Khatri
- Kiran Thagunna
- Dinesh Kharel
- Sagar Dhakal
Auction Buys:
- Arjun Kumal (5 lakh)
- Abhishek Tiwari (2 lakh)
- Sandeep Khatri Chhetri (2 lakh)
- Krishna Paudel (2 lakh)
8. Sudurpaschim Royals
Retained Players:
- Dipendra Singh Airee (Marquee)
- Binod Bhandari
- Aarif Sheikh
- Abinash Bohara
- Ishan Pandey
- Naren Saud
Auction Buys:
- Dipak Bohara (5 lakh)
- Hemant Dhami (10 lakh)
- Milan Bohara (5 lakh)
- Tek Bahadur Rawat (2 lakh)
- Dipendra Thapa (2 lakh)
Key Notes:
- A total of 37 domestic players were bought across the eight teams during the NPL 2025 mini-auction on August 9, 2025, from a shortlist of 150 players (out of 458 registered).
- The highest bids went to Arjun Saud (Chitwan Rhinos), Dev Khanal (Chitwan Rhinos), Pawan Sarraf (Karnali Yaks), and Mohammad Aadil Alam (Kathmandu Gorkhas), each fetching 15 lakh NPR.
- Other notable buys include Surya Tamang (Biratnagar Kings), Hemant Dhami (Sudurpaschim Royals), Santosh Yadav (Kathmandu Gorkhas), Sher Malla (Lumbini Lions), and Yuvraj Khatri (Karnali Yaks), all acquired for 10 lakh NPR.
- Each team’s squad consists of 16 players, with up to four slots reserved for overseas players, who are signed directly by franchises outside the auction process. Since overseas players are unconfirmed, they are excluded from this list.
- The auction focused on domestic talent, with players categorized into Grade A (base price 10 lakh NPR), Grade B (5 lakh NPR), and Grade C (2 lakh NPR).
- Unsold players from the auction, such as Sharad Vesawkar, Sunam Gautam, and others, are not listed here as they were not bought.
- The NPL 2025 season will feature 32 matches at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, starting in November 2025.
Sources: Information compiled from Nepal Premier League official website, Wisden, Cricket.com, and The Kathmandu Post.
