Renowned Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has arrived in Nepal to participate in the Nepal Premier League (NPL). He will be playing for the Karnali Yaks team in the tournament.
Dhawan landed in Kathmandu on Friday evening and was warmly welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport by officials of the Karnali Yaks team.
Following Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who played in Nepal’s Everest Premier League in 2021 for Kathmandu Kings XI, Dhawan will be one of the most prominent international stars in Nepal’s cricket leagues. Afridi’s time in Nepal was cut short after two matches, with the second game rained out.
The 39-year-old left-handed batsman boasts an illustrious international career, having represented India in 269 matches—comprising 167 ODIs, 69 T20Is, and 34 Tests. Dhawan has an impressive record of 24 international centuries and over 10,000 international runs, placing him among India’s elite players.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dhawan is the second-highest run-scorer in the league’s history. Captaining Punjab Kings in the latest IPL season, Dhawan has played for five different IPL teams, scoring 6,769 runs in 222 matches at an average of 35.25, with 2 centuries and 51 half-centuries. The only player ahead of him is Indian star Virat Kohli, who has amassed 8,004 runs.
Karnali Yaks, whose marquee Nepali player is former national captain Gyanendra Malla, has previously signed three foreign players: Chadwick Walton from the West Indies, all-rounder Hussain Talat from Pakistan, and Babar Hayat from Hong Kong.
Karnali Yaks Team Roster
- Marquee Player: Sompal Kami
- Captain : Sompal Kami
- Squad: Gulshan Kumar Jha, Nandan Yadav, Mausam Dhakal, Arjun Gharti, Dev Khanal, Rit Gautam, Bhuvan Karki, Dipendra Rawat, Dipak Dumre, Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri
- Foreign Players: Shikhar Dhawan, Chadwick Walton, Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Maqsood
- Local Iconic Player : Bipin Prasad Sharma
- Head Coach: Gyanendra Malla (Nepal)
- Consultant Coach: Raju Basnyat (Nepal)
