NPL Season 3 Winner Prize Raised to Rs15 Million

The winner of NPL Season 3 will receive Rs15 million, after the Cricket Association of Nepal raised the champion's prize from Rs10 million on the eve of the tournament. The increase, announced in Kathmandu on October 25, rewards the team that finishes top of the eight franchise league at TU Ground in Kirtipur.

NPL Season 3 winner prize raised to Rs15 million

The winner of the third season of the Nepal Premier League will receive Rs15 million, the Cricket Association of Nepal announced on Sunday, October 25. The announcement came at a press conference on the eve of the tournament opener, with CAN treasurer Padam Khadka confirming the revised prize structure for the season that begins at TU Ground in Kirtipur on October 26.

Khadka said the prize money had been increased because the league's revenue had risen. He put expected sponsorship income this season at Rs200 million and income from ticketing and broadcasting above Rs700 million, with gross revenue for the month long tournament expected to reach Rs1.5 billion. "As a result, the prize money has also been increased," he said.

The decision was made by the NPL's governing council with the permission of CAN president Chatur Bahadur Chand, Khadka added. That approval matters because the prize fund comes from the league's central revenue, not from any single franchise.

NPL Season 3 prize money breakdown

The new structure pays all four playoff finishers. The champions take Rs15 million, the runners-up Rs8 million, third place Rs4 million and fourth place Rs3 million. The four sides that miss the playoffs receive nothing from this fund, so reaching the top four already carries a cash reward before the final is played.

The winner's cheque is 50 percent larger than before. In each of the first two seasons the champions received Rs10 million, so the Season 3 winner earns Rs5 million more than any previous NPL champion. The gap between first and second is now Rs7 million, which keeps a clear reward for winning the final rather than just reaching it.

At Rs30 million in total for the top four, the fund is modest beside the revenue figures CAN quoted, but it is the largest prize pool in the league's three seasons. For the players, most of them on short tournament contracts, the difference between fourth and first is now Rs12 million.

NPL revenue growth behind the prize rise

Khadka linked the increase directly to commercial growth. Sponsorship income of Rs200 million and ticketing and broadcasting income above Rs700 million are the two named streams behind the expected Rs1.5 billion gross for the month long tournament. The figures show a league whose income has grown well beyond its first seasons, when the winner's prize was set at Rs10 million.

Broadcasting is the larger of the two named streams. Season 3 has two rights holders: NetTV holds the worldwide streaming rights, worth Rs18.04 crore, and Himalaya Television carries the Nepal television broadcast, worth Rs14.64 crore. Those deals, plus ticket sales at a single venue, form the commercial base for the raised prizes.

The season gives that revenue a full month to build. Thirty-two matches are scheduled at TU Ground in Kirtipur, from October 26 to November 21, with evening starts and double headers on some days. A single venue tournament concentrates ticket sales and broadcast inventory into one ground and one month.

NPL Season 3 opener and playoff race

The season opens on Monday, October 26, with defending champions Lumbini Lions facing Sudurpaschim Royals at 5:00 PM NST in Kirtipur, a repeat of last season's final. Both finalists set the standard the other six sides must reach, and both will expect to be in the prize money again.

Twenty-eight league matches decide the top four, with two points for a win, one for a tie or no result, and none for a loss, and ties broken by wins and Net Run Rate. The playoffs follow: Qualifier 1 on November 17, the Eliminator on November 18, Qualifier 2 on November 19 and the Final on November 21.

Supporters can follow the race through the points table and live scores, and check the schedule, ticket details and streaming options for the Kirtipur matches. With Kirtipur dressed up for the eve of the season and more than 1,000 police rostered to guard the venue daily, the build-up is complete.

The Rs15 million cheque gives the final a sharper edge. The team that wins on November 21 takes home half as much again as the champions of the first two seasons, and that is a reason to chase first place rather than settle for a playoff spot.