NPL Season 3 Begins Today

NPL Season 3 begins today at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with defending champions Lumbini Lions facing last season's runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals in the 5:00 PM opener.

NPL Season 3 Begins Today: Opener at Kirtipur

NPL Season 3 begins today with a rematch of last season's final. Lumbini Lions, the defending champions, take on Sudurpaschim Royals at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with the first ball at 5:00 PM NST. The two sides met in the Season 2 final at the same ground, where Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 85 and Lumbini chased the target down for the loss of four wickets in nine overs to lift the trophy.

The season runs from October 26 to November 21, 2026, with all 32 matches at Kirtipur — 28 league matches followed by four playoff matches. Eight franchises are in the fray: Lumbini Lions, Sudurpaschim Royals, Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Janakpur Bolts, Karnali Yaks, Kathmandu Gorkhas and Pokhara Avengers. The full NPL 2026 schedule is live, and the opener is covered in the Lumbini vs Sudurpaschim live streaming guide.

Lumbini won just once in Season 1 before lifting the Season 2 title, while Sudurpaschim have reached the final in both seasons and hold the league's best record with 14 wins from 18 matches. Lumbini kept seven players from last season, re-signed overseas duo Reuben Trumpelmann and Niroshan Dickwella, and made Aasif Sheikh the auction's top buy at Rs20 lakh. Sudurpaschim kept their core of Dipendra Singh Airee, Binod Bhandari, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey and Abinash Bohara, with Misbah-ul-Haq as the new head coach.

Around the ground, preparations are complete. Kirtipur has been dressed up for the season's first evening, a campus ID card is mandatory for entry during the tournament, and security arrangements include around 1,000 police personnel on matchdays.

The league stage runs through November 15, with the playoffs to follow — Qualifier 1 on November 17, the Eliminator on November 18, Qualifier 2 on November 19 and the grand final on November 21.

ICC Recognition and DRS Debut

As NPL Season 3 begins today, it is the first season played with official ICC recognition. The ICC sanctioned the tournament on October 16, 2026, which means matches now carry official T20 status — a milestone the league and its fans have waited for since the first season. The full story is in the ICC grants official T20 status to NPL Season 3 report.

The Decision Review System also makes its debut in Nepal's domestic cricket this season, with each team allowed two unsuccessful reviews per innings. The system was confirmed ahead of the season and adds a new layer of scrutiny to close calls at Kirtipur.

Under the system, each team gets two unsuccessful reviews per innings, so captains must spend them carefully on the closest calls.

The ICC's decision followed the league's first two seasons, which were played without official status.

International Stars and Prize Money

DD India names former Australian captain David Warner, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, South Africa's David Miller and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan among the prominent internationals in Season 3. Warner turns out for Kathmandu Gorkhas and Russell for Biratnagar Kings (see David Warner and Andre Russell), while the overseas contingent across the eight squads gives the season its strongest international flavour yet.

The stakes are higher too. The winners of Season 3 take home Rs15 million, with Rs8 million for the runners-up, Rs4 million for third place and Rs3 million for fourth, as announced by the Cricket Association of Nepal ahead of the season. The NPL Season 3 winner prize raised to Rs15 million report has the full breakdown.

For the players, the season is also a shop window. With ICC recognition in place, performances at Kirtipur now count in official T20 records, and the league's mix of established internationals and Nepal's domestic talent has made it the country's biggest cricket stage.

Each squad carries up to eight overseas players, with a maximum of four in the playing XI, and every XI must include at least one ICC Associate player. The rules, set by the Cricket Association of Nepal, keep the league's international flavour tied to its domestic core.

The international names join a domestic core headlined by Nepal captain Rohit Paudel, who leads Lumbini and holds the league's run record with 555 runs, and Sudurpaschim captain Dipendra Singh Airee, who has scored 389 runs at a strike rate of 147.3.

The season is also the league's biggest commercial edition yet. Broadcast rights went to NetTV for Rs18.04 crore and Himalaya Television for Rs14.64 crore, and the association expects gross revenue above Rs1.5 billion across sponsorships, ticketing and broadcasting.

Where to Watch the Opener

The opener is live on television and streaming. NetTV streams every Season 3 match worldwide, Himalaya TV and Himalaya Sports show matches on television in Nepal, Star Sports Select 2 and Select 2 HD carry matches on TV in India and South Asia, and FanCode streams matches in India.

Fans following the score can also keep up with free live scores and ball-by-ball updates on this site, with the full NPL 2026 live streaming guide available for every fixture.

Tickets for league matches cost Rs500 for general entry and Rs1,000 for premium seats, with eliminator and final tickets at Rs1,000 and Rs2,000 and a season pass at Rs15,000, all sold through eSewa.

The season's second match follows on Tuesday, with Biratnagar Kings facing Chitwan Rhinos at 12:30 PM NST, before Karnali Yaks meet Janakpur Bolts in the evening fixture.