Cricket Association of Nepal reveals NPL logo during 'Celebration of Nepal Cricket' program

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) hosted a gala program called ‘Celebration of Nepal Cricket’ in Kathmandu to reveal the new logo and schedule of their official T20 franchise tournament named Nepal Premier League (NPL). The ambitious project is set to give talented cricketers in Nepal the opportunity to rub shoulders with some top-notch cricketers from around the world and hone their skills. NPL 2024 is set to run from November 30 to December 21.

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During the aforementioned CAN program, Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary unveiled the tournament logo. Initially, Prime Minister KP Oli was set to unveil the logo, but it was later announced that he could not grace the event owing to health problems.

Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary, National Sports Council Member Secretary Tankalal Ghising, CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand, and Secretary Paras Khadka gave speeches at the event.

The number of teams that will partake in the competition and their names are still to be finalised. Previously, other franchise leagues have witnessed six teams competing for silverware.

The former franchise competition – the Nepal T20 League was marred with controversies and criticism. CAN and Seven3Sports agreed to an eight-year contract in May 2022 which was terminated in February 2023. As per the sources, Seven3sports was also involved in the fixing scandal in the tournament. The tournament drew a lot of flak regarding management, ownership and spot-fixing. Fan engagement was also quite dismal as spectators didn't come out in numbers to witness the action. Seeing the wretched turn of events, CAN stepped in, taking the necessary initiative and deciding to host the tournament by itself.

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Cricket has grown in Nepal by leaps and bounds in recent years as fans have shown tremendous support for the game. The national team has also shown massive signs of improvement and recently pushed experienced teams like South Africa and Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. The NPL is set to give cricketers in Nepal good exposure and a chance to showcase their skills.