The third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL 2026) got underway on Monday, October 26, with the first clash played between Lumbini Lions and Sudurpaschim Royals.
This year's tournament will also feature some of the most prominent T20 names around the world. With the tournament receiving official recognition from the International Cricket Council (ICC), it has become more exciting, attracting several international stars.
This edition will run from October 26, with the final to be played on November 21. Explore all about this league in this article.
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Nepal Premier League 2026 Key Details
Eight teams are going to feature in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League, with all games to be played at a single venue, the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Nepal. Below are the key details about the tournament.
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Details
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Information
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Tournament
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Nepal Premier League 2026
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Edition
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Third
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Organiser
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Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN)
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Start date
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October 26, 2026
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Final date
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November 21, 2026
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Total teams
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8
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Format
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T20 franchise cricket
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Venue
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Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
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Why is the NPL 2026 Edition Important?
In a significant development for the league, the NPL has received official recognition from the International Cricket Council (ICC). As a result, all performances of players will count in official T20 career statistics.
This is also going to help local talent gain more exposure to international-level competition and further enhance the quality of Nepal cricket as a whole.
Another big development for this tournament is that the Decision Review System (DRS) has been introduced this season. The practice has been part of the cricketing world for more than a decade, and its introduction in the Nepal Premier League is expected to enhance the quality of the league.
Nepal Premier League 2026: Teams Complete Squads
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Team
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Complete squad
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Biratnagar Kings
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Sandeep Lamichhane (C), Lokesh Bam, Dilsad Ali, Sujan Thapaliya, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Shubham Ranjane, Basir Ahamad, Narayan Joshi, Pratish GC, Rupesh Kumar Singh, Naren Saud, Pratik Shrestha, Imran Sheikh, Subash Bhandari, Aparajit Poudel, Angelo Mathews
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Chitwan Rhinos
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Kushal Malla (C), Kamil Mishara, Deepak Bohara, Dev Khanal, Arjun Saud, Bipin Rawal, Muhammad Nawaz, Ravi Bopara, Sikandar Raza, Bibek Kumar Yadav, Salahuddin Khan, Hasan Ali, Kaleem Sana, Usama Mir, Rijan Dhakal, Ranjeet Kumar, Kamal Singh Airee, Mausam Dhakal, Ashok Dhami, Gautam KC
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Janakpur Bolts
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Anil Sah (C), Bikash Aagri, Aaditya Mahata, Bishal Patel, Rit Gautam, Santosh Karki, Harmeet Singh, Iftikhar Ahmed, James Neesham, Moeen Ali, Mayan Yadav, Trit Raj Das, Abhishek Tiwari, Amar Singh Rautela, Hunain Shah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Ashutosh Pandey, Bishal Shusling
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Karnali Yaks
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Sompal Kami (C), Ariful Islam, David Miller, Hikmat Bahadur Shahi, Sahibzada Farhan, Deepak Dumre, Sachin Sharma, Diwan Pun, Hussain Talat, Mark Watt, Gulshan Jha, Pawan Sarraf, Unish Bikram Singh, Shubh Kansakar, Bipin Sharma, Nandan Yadav, Yuvraj Khatri, Dipendra Rawat, Surya Tamang, Akbar Ali
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Kathmandu Gorkhas
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Karan KC (C), David Warner, Rashid Khan, K. S. Bharat, Sam Heazlett, Smit Patel, Bhim Sarki, Sahil Patel, Suryanshu Koirala, Sahan Arachchige, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Santosh Yadav, Prasiddha Jaisi, Dev Shah, Krishna Poudel, Shahab Alam, Dayanand Mandal, Sonu Devkota
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Lumbini Lions
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Rohit Paudel (C), Niroshan Dickwella, Sundeep Jora, Dilip Nath, Aasif Sheikh, Aakash Tripathi, D'Arcy Short, Shamim Hossain, Sher Malla, Arniko Yadav, Ruben Trumpelmann, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishesh Gautam, Tilak Bhandari, Kishore Mahato, Durgesh Gupta, Ajay Chauhan, Shadley van Schalkwyk
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Pokhara Avengers
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Kushal Bhurtel (C), Dinesh Kharel, Chamika Karunaratne, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunny BK, Arjun Kumal, Bipin Khatri, Kiran Thagunna, Arjun Gharti, Bipin Acharya, Sagar Dhakal, Aakash Chand, Sudip Aryal, Bibek Rana Magar, Pratik Pokharel
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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Dipendra Singh Airee (C), Binod Bhandari, Dipak Bohara, Brandon McMullen, Fabian Allen, Scott Kuggeleijn, Sherfane Rutherford, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Tek Rawat, Ayub Chand, Tek Raj Thalal, Abinash Bohara, Hemant Dhami, Hikmat Mahara, Milan Bohara, Sachin Bhatt, Saif Zaib
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Prominent Players to Feature in Nepal Premier League 2026
From David Warner to Andre Russell, this year's tournament will feature some of the most prominent names the T20 cricket world has seen. Below are the major international players, their countries of origin and the teams they will represent in the Nepal Premier League.
A former Indian player KS Bharat will also feature in this league. Bharat represented India in Test cricket and retired on June 4, 2026.
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Player
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Country
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Team
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David Warner
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Australia
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Kathmandu Gorkhas
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Rashid Khan
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Afghanistan
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Kathmandu Gorkhas
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K. S. Bharat
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India
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Kathmandu Gorkhas
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Andre Russell
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West Indies
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Biratnagar Kings
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Angelo Mathews
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Sri Lanka
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Biratnagar Kings
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Charith Asalanka
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Sri Lanka
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Biratnagar Kings
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Sikandar Raza
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Zimbabwe
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Chitwan Rhinos
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Hasan Ali
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Pakistan
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Chitwan Rhinos
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Ravi Bopara
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England
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Chitwan Rhinos
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Moeen Ali
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England
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Janakpur Bolts
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James Neesham
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New Zealand
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Janakpur Bolts
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Iftikhar Ahmed
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Pakistan
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Janakpur Bolts
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South Africa
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Karnali Yaks
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D'Arcy Short
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Australia
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Lumbini Lions
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Shakib Al Hasan
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Bangladesh
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Pokhara Avengers
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Mahedi Hasan
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Bangladesh
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Pokhara Avengers
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Mohammad Saifuddin
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Bangladesh
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Pokhara Avengers
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Dhananjaya Lakshan
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Sri Lanka
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Pokhara Avengers
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Sherfane Rutherford
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West Indies
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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Fabian Allen
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West Indies
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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Brandon McMullen
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Scotland
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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NPL Winners List From 2024 to 2026
The Nepal Premier League began in 2024. Janakpur Bolts won the inaugural edition, while Lumbini Lions lifted the trophy in 2025. The 2026 champion will be decided in the final on November 21.
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Edition
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Champion
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Runner-up
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2024
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Janakpur Bolts
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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2025
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Lumbini Lions
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Sudurpaschim Royals
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2026
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To be decided
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To be decided
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Nepal Premier League 2026 Complete Schedule
All matches will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. The league stage runs from October 26 to November 15, followed by the playoffs and final.
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Match
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Date
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Fixture
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Time (IST)
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1st Match
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October 26
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Lumbini Lions vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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4:15 PM
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2nd Match
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October 27
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Biratnagar Kings vs Chitwan Rhinos
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12:15 PM
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3rd Match
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October 27
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Janakpur Bolts vs Karnali Yaks
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4:15 PM
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4th Match
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October 28
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Pokhara Avengers vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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4:15 PM
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5th Match
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October 29
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Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gorkhas
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12:15 PM
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6th Match
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October 29
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Biratnagar Kings vs Karnali Yaks
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4:15 PM
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7th Match
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October 31
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Lumbini Lions
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12:15 PM
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8th Match
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October 31
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Biratnagar Kings vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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4:15 PM
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9th Match
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November 1
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Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers
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4:15 PM
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10th Match
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November 2
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Karnali Yaks vs Kathmandu Gorkhas
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12:15 PM
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11th Match
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November 2
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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4:15 PM
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12th Match
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November 3
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Biratnagar Kings vs Janakpur Bolts
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12:15 PM
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13th Match
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November 3
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Lumbini Lions vs Pokhara Avengers
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4:15 PM
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14th Match
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November 5
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Janakpur Bolts vs Lumbini Lions
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12:15 PM
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15th Match
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November 5
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Biratnagar Kings vs Kathmandu Gorkhas
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4:15 PM
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16th Match
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November 6
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Karnali Yaks vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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12:15 PM
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17th Match
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November 6
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Pokhara Avengers
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4:15 PM
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18th Match
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November 7
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Kathmandu Gorkhas vs Lumbini Lions
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4:15 PM
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19th Match
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November 9
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Karnali Yaks vs Pokhara Avengers
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12:15 PM
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20th Match
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November 9
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Kathmandu Gorkhas
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4:15 PM
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21st Match
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November 10
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Janakpur Bolts vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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4:15 PM
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22nd Match
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November 12
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Biratnagar Kings vs Pokhara Avengers
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12:15 PM
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23rd Match
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November 12
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Karnali Yaks vs Lumbini Lions
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4:15 PM
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24th Match
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November 13
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Kathmandu Gorkhas vs Sudurpaschim Royals
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12:15 PM
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25th Match
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November 13
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Janakpur Bolts
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4:15 PM
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26th Match
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November 14
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Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions
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4:15 PM
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27th Match
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November 15
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Chitwan Rhinos vs Karnali Yaks
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12:15 PM
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28th Match
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November 15
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Kathmandu Gorkhas vs Pokhara Avengers
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4:15 PM
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Qualifier 1
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November 17
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1st place vs 2nd place
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4:15 PM
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Eliminator
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November 18
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3rd place vs 4th place
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4:15 PM
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Qualifier 2
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November 19
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Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator
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4:15 PM
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Final
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November 21
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Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2
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4:15 PM
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NPL 2026 Prize Money
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Position
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Prize Money
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Champions
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NPR 15 million
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Runners-up
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NPR 8 million
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Third place
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NPR 4 million
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Fourth place
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NPR 3 million
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When and Where to Watch Nepal Premier League 2026 Live?
Fans can enjoy the live action of the Nepal Premier League 2026 through television and online streaming platforms. Indian viewers can watch the tournament on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming is available on FanCode.