Lumbini Lions Sign Shadley van Schalkwyk for NPL Season 3

Defending champions Lumbini Lions have signed United States all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk for the third season of the Nepal Premier League. The franchise announced the signing on social media, pointing to his 13-wicket haul at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The Signing

Lumbini Lions confirmed the arrival of van Schalkwyk through their official social media accounts on Thursday, October 22, four days before the start of the third NPL season. The champions are the defending title holders after winning the 2025 edition, and they have moved early to refresh an overseas contingent that carried them to the crown.

The announcement leaned heavily on the 38-year-old's form at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this year. Van Schalkwyk took 13 wickets in four innings for the United States, a tally that matched the Netherlands' Bas de Leede for the most wickets by a player from an Associate nation at the tournament. For a league whose overseas slots are fiercely contested, a proven wicket-taker in peak form is exactly the profile the Lions target.

The signing was reported by The Kathmandu Post the same day, which noted that the franchise had cited his World Cup performances as the reason for the move. No transfer fee or contract length has been made public.

Van Schalkwyk's Record

Born in South Africa, van Schalkwyk is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and left-handed batter who switched his international allegiance to the United States. He has taken 17 wickets in One-Day Internationals and 28 in T20 Internationals for the USA, building a reputation as a reliable new-ball and death-overs option in the shortest format.

His domestic record is extensive: across a long first-class career in South Africa he collected more than 230 wickets, and he has since become a regular on the American franchise circuit, featuring in Minor and Major League Cricket. That blend of experience is what the Lions are buying — a bowler who has seen every situation the game can produce.

Nepali fans will not be meeting him for the first time. Van Schalkwyk played for the Lumbini All Stars in the 2022 Nepal T20 League, where he produced one of the tournament's signature all-round displays: an unbeaten 31 from 11 balls and 3 for 27, plus two catches, to win player of the match against Pokhara Avengers in a low-scoring thriller, as Cricnepal reported at the time. He knows the conditions at Kirtipur and the rhythms of Nepali franchise cricket.

A Bowler Built for the Lions' Title Defence

The champions' squad is taking shape around proven international quality. Niroshan Dickwella, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter, re-signed with the Lions earlier this month, and the franchise also retains Namibia quick Ruben Trumpelmann, the player of the tournament from their title-winning campaign. Van Schalkwyk slots into that overseas group as the experienced seam-bowling all-rounder every title defence needs.

Tactically, the fit is clean. The TU International Cricket Ground can assist the new ball early and slow down later, and a bowler who swings it up front and hits hard lengths at the death gives the Lions flexibility through the innings. His left-handed batting lower down the order is a bonus that deepens the tail. You can track how the Lions use him once the tournament starts via the live scores and the points table as the season unfolds.

With the opener now four days away, the champions look increasingly settled. While Biratnagar Kings have responded by stacking their own squad with names like Andre Russell and Angelo Mathews, the Lions' answer is continuity plus proven performers — and van Schalkwyk fits that template perfectly.

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 have been granted official List A T20 status by the ICC, so every wicket van Schalkwyk takes will count in his official T20 record.

Fans planning to watch the champions' title defence in person can find ticket information and the full fixture list on this site. The Lions begin their campaign as the team to beat — and they have just added another proven winner to the dressing room.