Karnali’s Batting Led by Foreign Players, Hoping for a Better Season

Indian star batter Shikhar Dhawan created huge excitement when Karnali Yaks signed him for the first season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). His on-field performance was average, but his arrival brought massive attention. When he played at TU Ground, NPL received global publicity. Many Indian fans also started following the league, and Nepali cricket became more popular.

Dhawan became one of the main reasons NPL was talked about outside Nepal.

Karnali Yaks in Season 1

Karnali’s performance in the first season was average. They reached the playoffs by finishing fourth in the league stage but lost in Qualifier 2 and missed the final. Out of eight teams, Karnali finished in third place.

Under captain Sompal Kami, Karnali won four out of seven league matches.

Squad for Season 2

Karnali has kept its core players and continued with head coach Gyanendra Malla.
Retained players include Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Gharti, Bipin Prasad Sharma, Dipendra Rawat and Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri.

Sompal, Gulshan and Nandan are national team members. The others are from Karnali Province. Young spinner Bipin Prasad Sharma, discovered through talent hunt, has also been kept.

From the auction, Karnali signed all-rounder Pawan Sarraf, spinner Yuvraj Khatri, Deepak Dumre and Imran Sheikh.

Foreign Players for Season 2

Last season, Dhawan’s presence overshadowed other foreign players, but Australian all-rounder William Bosisto performed very well and helped Karnali reach the playoffs. Karnali has continued him for the second season.

Karnali has also signed Netherlands batter Max O’Dowd and Scotland spinner Mark Watt. The fourth foreign player is Indian opener Priyank Panchal, who recently played in the Hong Kong Sixes and has experience in the Ranji Trophy.

Team Combination and Strategy

Karnali will depend heavily on foreign players for their top and middle order. Max O’Dowd and Priyank Panchal are expected to open the innings. Bosisto will handle the middle order at number 4 or 5.

Karnali has many Nepali all-rounders, so the lower order is strong. But they have fewer options for the top order. Pawan Sarraf and Imran Sheikh can also open if needed.

Fast bowling will be handled by Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav. In spin, Mark Watt will lead with support from Bipin Prasad Sharma. Dipendra Rawat and Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri are available as backups.

Season 1 Recap

Karnali finished third in the first season. They lost their first two matches but then won four matches in a row. They entered the playoffs, defeated Chitwan in the Eliminator, but lost to Janakpur Bolts in Qualifier 2.

Sixteen-year-old spinner Bipin Prasad Sharma was the biggest breakout performer with 13 wickets. Jisad Maksud took 10 wickets, while Bosisto, Sompal and Nandan took 9 each.

In batting, Bosisto scored the highest for Karnali with 194 runs, followed by Chadwick Walton with 183 runs.

Karnali Yaks Team List (Corrected Names)

Retained players: Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Gharti, Bipin Prasad Sharma, Dipendra Rawat, Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri
Auction signings: Pawan Sarraf, Yuvraj Khatri, Imran Sheikh, Deepak Dumre
Foreign players: William Bosisto, Mark Watt, Max O’Dowd, Priyank Panchal
Head coach: Gyanendra Malla
Consultant coach: Raju Basnyat