Biratnagar Kings Sign Angelo Mathews for NPL Season 3

Biratnagar Kings have recruited former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews for the third season of the Nepal Premier League. The franchise unveiled the signing on its social media channels, adding one of international cricket's most experienced campaigners to its squad.

The Signing

Biratnagar Kings announced Mathews' arrival on Thursday, October 22, four days before the start of the third NPL season. The franchise's social media reveal welcomed the 39-year-old to the squad as it continues an aggressive build-up to the new campaign.

Mathews brings a pedigree few players in the league can match. He was a member of the Sri Lanka side that won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014, and he has captained his country in all three international formats — a mark of the trust placed in his game-reading and temperament over a long international career.

The signing was reported by The Kathmandu Post the same day. No transfer fee or contract length has been made public.

Angelo Mathews' Record

The numbers underline why the Kings moved for him. In 90 T20 Internationals, the right-handed all-rounder has scored 1,416 runs, including six half-centuries, and taken 45 wickets. His one-day record is heavier still: 5,916 runs with three centuries and 40 half-centuries, plus 126 wickets, across 226 ODIs.

In Test cricket he played 119 matches, scoring 8,214 runs with 16 centuries and taking 33 wickets. Across 233 T20 matches in total, he has accumulated 4,090 runs and 45 wickets — the profile of a genuine three-dimensional cricketer who contributes in every phase of a game.

Mathews has spent two decades performing in high-pressure situations for Sri Lanka, from World Cup finals to tense run chases. That calm, adaptable game is exactly what franchises seek in overseas recruits for conditions they have never played in.

An Overseas Core Built for Kirtipur

Mathews joins a Kings overseas group that is already the most decorated in the league. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, Sri Lanka batter Charith Asalanka and USA all-rounder Shubham Ranjane were already on the books, giving the Kings four international names with serious pedigree before a ball is bowled.

The squad is led by Nepal star Sandeep Lamichhane, with former Sri Lanka quick Dhammika Prasad installed as head coach and Bagmati Plastics signed as the team's home partner. It is a carefully assembled group: Lamichhane's leg-spin for Kirtipur's turning surface, Russell's power, Asalanka's middle-order craft — and now Mathews' experience to hold it together.

For a franchise yet to win the title, the intent is unmistakable. Follow their progress through the live scores and the points table once the season gets underway, with defending champions Lumbini Lions setting the standard to chase.

Why Mathews Fits Biratnagar's Plan

The Kings' recruitment has a clear logic. Mathews is one of the few overseas players in the league who has captained his country in all three international formats, and his game management in the middle overs — with bat and ball — is built for tournaments where every match carries weight.

He also solves a specific problem: balance. Biratnagar already own explosive power in Russell and middle-order craft in Asalanka; Mathews adds the calm anchor who can bat through an innings, bowl four economical overs and marshal the field when Lamichhane is off the attack. In a short tournament, that flexibility lets the Kings cover more combinations with fewer players.

There is pedigree too. A 2014 T20 World Cup winner's medal and two decades of international cricket mean the Kings' young Nepali core will share a dressing room with a player who has seen everything the game can throw at a team — the kind of presence that lifts a squad chasing its first title.

Season 3 Countdown

The third edition of the Nepal Premier League begins at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on October 26 and runs until November 21, 2026, with eight teams competing. All matches carry official List A T20 status from the ICC, meaning Mathews' performances will count in his official T20 statistics.

Fans can find ticket information and the full fixture list on this site. With Russell, Asalanka, Ranjane and now Mathews in their ranks, Biratnagar Kings have built the squad of a team that expects to be playing deep into November.