Kathmandu: In preparation for the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the final list of 150 players eligible for the upcoming auction. 



Originally, 458 players had registered their names for consideration in the auction. The final selection was made based on the interests of the eight teams participating in the NPL, as well as recommendations from the CAN technical committee. 



The shortlisted players have been categorized into three groups. Category 'A' includes eight players: Arjun Saud, Dilip Nath, Dev Khanal, Pawan Sarraf, Sharad Bheshwakar, Mohammad Adil Ansari, Surya Tamang, and Suman Gautam. 



Category 'B' includes 35 players, among them are Anil Kharel, Arjun Kumal, Deepak Bohora, Krishna Karki, and Prajwal Thapa. The remaining 107 players have been placed in Category 'C'. According to CAN, the player auction for the franchise-based T20 cricket tournament is scheduled for August 9.

NPL: 150 cricketers shortlisted for auction

Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the 'FIFA Football for Schools' campaign today.



During the inaugural ceremony organized by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) at the Dashrath Stadium Kathmandu, the Prime Minister said the government accorded priority to the further development of sports sector.He also announced to build an advanced stadium in Suryabinayak of Bhaktapur.



It is said that under the campaign around 1,000 school students will be freely provided with football besides specialized training to school teachers and football team coaches.

Prime Minister launches 'FIFA Football for Schools' campaign

Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Thursday announced that the government will build a new international stadium with a seating capacity of 50,000 in Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur.



Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘FIFA Football for Schools’ program at Dasharath Stadium, PM Oli said the government is accelerating the development of sports infrastructure across the country.



“A stadium accommodating 50,000 spectators will soon be constructed in Bhaktapur’s Suryabinayak Municipality,” Oli said, adding that it would be more than triple the size of Dasharath Stadium, which currently holds 15,000.



He also highlighted ongoing efforts in the sports sector, stating that the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur is nearing completion and will host matches in the upcoming cricket season. Additionally, stadiums are under construction in Pokhara, Surkhet, Dhangadhi, Jhapa, and Damak.



“There will no longer be a shortage of stadiums or playing fields in Nepal,” Oli said, emphasizing the government’s ambition to make Nepal a gold medal-winning nation across all sports.



Oli further announced plans to build indoor training facilities, including infrastructure specifically for the women’s volleyball team.



He thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, and ANFA for organizing the event and expressed hope for a promising future for young athletes.

PM Oli announces construction of 50,000-capacity Stadium in Bhaktapur

Kathmandu: Nepal is set to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in 2026, marking the country’s biggest-ever international cricket tournament. According to the ICC announcement, the tournament will take place from January 12 to February 16, 2026.



The competition will feature 10 teams, with the top four earning spots in the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales.



Bangladesh and Ireland have already qualified for the Global Qualifier due to their participation in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. From the Asia region, Thailand and Nepal have secured their spots, while the USA has qualified from the Americas region.



Two teams each will qualify from Africa and Europe, while one team will advance from the East Asia-Pacific region — all to be confirmed through respective regional qualifiers.



The 10 participating teams in Nepal will be divided into two groups, followed by a Super Six stage and a final.



The detailed schedule of the tournament will be announced later.

Nepal to host 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier

Kathmandu: Nepal national cricket team Vice Captain Dipendra Singh Airee has climbed to second place in the ICC T20 International all-rounder rankings, marking a major milestone for Nepali cricket on the global stage.



According to the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Airee moved up one spot, overtaking West Indies' Roston Chase, who dropped from second to ninth. India’s Hardik Pandya remains at the top of the all-rounder rankings, followed by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi in third, England’s Liam Livingstone in fourth, and West Indies’ Romario Shepherd in fifth.



Despite Airee’s rise, Nepal’s overall performance in the T20I batting rankings showed mixed results. Both Airee and team Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel slipped in their standings. On a positive note, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh saw improvements in their batting ranks.



In bowling, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi advanced two spots, securing the 56th position in the latest global list.



Airee’s achievement reflects Nepal’s growing presence in international cricket, especially in the T20 format.

Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee rises to second in ICC T20I all-rounder rankings

Kathmandu: Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan died Thursday at age 71 in Clearwater, Florida, after suffering cardiac arrest, police confirmed. He was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after emergency responders arrived at his home. No foul play was suspected.



Born Terry Bollea, Hogan was the face of WWE in the 1980s and a global phenomenon with his signature “Hulkamania” persona. He won six WWE titles and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, later reinstated in 2018 after a controversy over racist remarks.



Hogan was also active in television, movies, and conservative politics, endorsing Donald Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention. He had recently taken on a leadership role in a new wrestling league promoting unscripted pro wrestling.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71

Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday defended the ongoing construction of the Kirtipur Cricket Stadium, pushing back against what he called “unwarranted criticism” over minor delays in the project.



Speaking in Parliament in response to lawmakers' concerns, Oli said the stadium was nearing completion and attributed the delays to procedural and environmental hurdles. “The stadium is being built; it’s close to completion. But instead of being happy, people complain about a delay of two days,” he remarked.



Oli explained that although the government had initially set a 300-day completion target to fast-track the project, construction only began in late December due to procurement issues and land ownership disputes. Monsoon-related disruptions further pushed back the timeline.



“It took five months just to get the work started, and then the monsoon added more challenges. Some delay was inevitable,” he said.



He also criticized what he described as a tendency to overlook progress and focus on minor setbacks. “Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to appreciate the work that’s being done. A little positivity in our mindset could help,” he added.



Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to development, Oli said infrastructure projects across the country were progressing despite bureaucratic hurdles and negativity from some quarters.

PM Oli defends Kirtipur Cricket Stadium project amid criticism over delays

Kathmandu: The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced that 20 national cricketers will participate in a close-camp training session in Bengaluru, India, as part of their preparation for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier.



According to a press statement issued by CAN, the intensive training will take place at the National Cricket Academy from July 21 to August 3, 2025. The camp has been arranged in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and with support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).



The 20-member squad traveling to India includes, Rohit Kumar Paudel (Captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Mohammad Aasif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Aneek Kumar Sah, Bhim Sharki, Mohammad Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Rupesh Kumar Singh, Bibek Kumar Yadav, Rijan Dhakal, Pratish GC, Nandan Yadav, Yuvraj Khatri, Sahab Alam, Sandeep Jora, Sagar Dhakal, Aakash Chand, and Shuva Kanshakar.



CAN further stated that the remaining players outside this list will undergo parallel training at a close-camp in Kathmandu.



The Asia Qualifier is a crucial step toward securing a spot in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and Nepal is intensifying its preparation with international-level facilities and training opportunities.

20 Nepali cricketers to train in Bengaluru ahead of ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

Kathmandu: Nepal's dream of qualifying for AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 has ended after Uzbekistan defeated Nepal in a tiebreaker in the final match held on Saturday late night.



In the final match held at Bunyodkor Stadium at Tashkentof Uzbekistan, Nepali National Women's Football Team lost to Uzbekistan 4-2 in penalty shootout. The match entered the penalty shootout after the regulation 90 minutes ended in a 3-3 draw.



In the shootout, Gita Rana and Sabita Rana Magar did goals for Nepal. Captain Sabitra Bhandari 'Samba' and goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar missed the penalty kicks for Nepal.



With this victory, Uzbekistan has been able to make its place in the Asian Cup for the first time.



Nepal had scored first goal for Nepal in 12th minutes of the first half game as well as second and third goals in 70th and 71st minutes in the second half. Captain Samba scored all three goals for Nepal in the regulation 90 minutes.

Nepal's dream of qualifying for AFC Women's Asian Cup shattered

Kathmandu: Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva died in a tragic car accident early Thursday in northwestern Spain, police have confirmed.



The incident occurred shortly after midnight in Cernadilla, a municipality in the province of Zamora, when their vehicle veered off the motorway and burst into flames. Spain’s Civil Guard reported that a blown tyre during an overtaking maneuver is believed to have caused the crash.



The tragedy comes just days after Jota married his long-time partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple shared their wedding video on social media hours before the fatal accident. Jota is survived by his wife and three children.



The Portuguese Football Federation expressed deep sorrow over the loss. Federation president Pedro Proenca called Jota “an extraordinary person, respected by all,” and confirmed that a minute's silence was observed ahead of Portugal’s Women’s Euro 2025 match against Spain in Switzerland on Thursday.



“We have lost two champions,” Proenca said. “The deaths of Diogo and Andre Silva are irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything possible to honour their legacy every day.”



Jota was a key figure in both club and country. He played for Atletico Madrid, FC Porto, and Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Liverpool, where he scored nine goals in all competitions last season, helping the club secure its 20th Premier League title.



He was widely praised not only for his on-field brilliance but also for his positive spirit and deep connection to his community.

Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota killed in car crash in Spain

Kathmandu: The Nepal Men’s National Cricket Team's recent European tour has triggered major shifts in the ICC rankings, with several players making notable gains—particularly spinners Lalit Rajbanshi and Sandeep Lamichhane.



Among all-rounders in T20 Internationals, Dipendra Singh Airee continues to lead the Nepali contingent, holding third position globally. He trails only India’s Hardik Pandya and Australia’s Marcus Stoinis by a narrow margin.



Kushal Bhurtel saw a six-place jump in the same category, reaching 32nd. However, Gulsan Jha dropped to 61st, while Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla fell to 66th and 68th respectively. Karan KC slipped slightly to 81st.



In the ODI all-rounder rankings, Airee dropped to 54th, while Sompal Kami and Lamichhane remained unchanged at 56th and 59th. Rajbanshi gained three spots to move up to 82nd. Meanwhile, Karan KC and Kushal Malla saw declines, and Aarif Sheikh entered the top 100 at 99th.



For ODI batting, Bhurtel advanced to 87th, and Aarif Sheikh made a remarkable leap of 13 places to 90th. Aasif Sheikh and Rohit Paudel slipped slightly to 94th and 99th, respectively.



In T20I batting, Airee remained 61st. Bhurtel moved up 10 spots to 83rd, while Rohit and Asif each fell two places, ranking 66th and 78th.



Nepal’s biggest improvements came in the bowling department. Rajbanshi now holds Nepal’s highest rank in both ODI and T20I bowling. He climbed five spots to 48th in ODIs and surged 29 places to 54th in T20Is. Lamichhane also jumped significantly in the T20I bowling chart, climbing 41 places to reach 75th.



However, some bowlers faced setbacks. Airee dropped three spots to 79th in ODI bowling, Karan KC fell to 84th, while Kami held steady at 94th. In T20Is, Airee dropped to 81st.



As a team, Nepal currently ranks 17th in ODIs and 18th in T20Is. The European tour included four ODIs and four T20Is played as part of a tri-series against Scotland and the Netherlands, offering a competitive platform that evidently influenced individual performances on the global stage.

Nepal cricketers climb ICC rankings after European tour

Kathmandu: The national cricket team has been announced today for the ACC Men's U-16 East Zone Cup Cricket Tournament to be held in Malaysia. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a 14-member team led by Bipin Prasad Sharma for the tournament to be held in Malaysia from June 22 to July 5.



The Nepali team including captain Sharma and Vice-captain Suryashu Koirala comprises Shivansh Bajgain, Raunak Srivastava, Parimarjan Yadav, Abhay Yadav, Sachin Bhatta, Sugam Budhathoki, Suyog Bhattarai, Sushil Rawal, Shubham Khanal, Prasidha Jaishi, Joy Thapa and Roshan Shahi.



Ten different teams, including Nepal, are participating in the tournament. Nepal has been placed in Group 'A' along with Singapore, Indonesia, Bhutan and Japan. Group ‘B’ includes hosts Malaysia, Thailand, the Maldives, Hong Kong and Myanmar.



Nepal will play its opening match against Singapore on June 22.

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