Ayub Chand is a Nepali domestic player who joined Sudurpaschim Royals for NPL Season 3 at the July 2026 auction for NPR 2 lakh. He was one of six signings completing the club's 16-man Season 3 squad, and the verified record lists no confirmed playing role and no prior NPL appearances. At 2 lakh he sits at the cheapest end of the auction buys alongside fellow newcomers Sachin Bhatta and Tek Rawat.
In Nepal Premier League 2026, Chand is a depth signing in a squad that kept seven domestic players from its back-to-back runners-up campaigns. The Royals' scouts backed him to push the incumbents in training and be ready if an opening comes.
About Ayub Chand
Ayub Chand is a Nepali domestic player who joined Sudurpaschim Royals for Season 3 through the July 2026 auction for NPR 2 lakh. The verified public record on his game is thin: no confirmed playing role and no prior NPL figures. He was one of six Royals auction signings at the 6 July 2026 sale in Kathmandu that completed the club's 16-man Season 3 squad. At 2 lakh he sits at the cheapest end of the auction buys alongside fellow newcomers Sachin Bhatta and Tek Rawat. He arrives as a depth signing in a squad that kept seven domestic players from its back-to-back runners-up campaigns, the kind of low-cost pick the Royals' scouts backed to push the incumbents in training and be ready if an opening comes.
Playing style and strengths
With no confirmed playing role and no prior NPL record, Chand's game cannot be described from technique, so it has to be read from his auction profile. The Royals spent their 26-lakh auction purse on defined needs: two wicketkeepers, two frontline bowlers, an all-rounder in Milan Bohara, and Chand, the one buy without a public position. That profile points to a cricketer the scouts rated on domestic or age-group cricket rather than a finished NPL product. His strength, on the evidence available, is versatility: unnamed-role signings earn their place by filling whatever the XI lacks on a given day, fielding cover, net intensity, and readiness across disciplines. Until he plays, his verified assets are opportunity and timing.
The other 2-lakh buys show the range of what entry-level money can mean: Sachin Bhatta is the squad's purest scouts' pick as a bowler and Tek Rawat is the third keeper, which leaves Chand as the wildcard of the three. In a 16-man squad built for a short tournament, the last few places go to cricketers who can cover more than one job, and an undefined role is, paradoxically, a kind of flexibility.
Ayub Chand's role at Sudurpaschim Royals in Season 3
Chand goes into Season 3 as the squad's insurance policy. Seven retained domestic players form the core of Airee's side, and the six auction buys, headlined by the 10-lakh keeper Dipak Bohara, were added around them. As the least defined of the six, Chand's path to the XI runs through attrition and form: injuries, unavailability, or a tactical gap the retained core cannot fill. Captain Airee has shown he trusts players the market undervalues, retaining Hikmat Mahara for a third straight season is the precedent, so a strong pre-season from Chand could change his status quickly. For now he is the low-cost cover every title-chasing squad carries into a long tournament.
The precedent inside this very squad is encouraging for him. Hikmat Mahara has been retained three seasons running without a public statistical footprint, which proves Airee and the coaching staff reward what they see behind closed doors rather than what the market prices. Chand's auction fee is the smallest possible bet, but the Royals' scouts still chose him over every other name in the pool. If he trains like a first-XI player, the gap between 2 lakh and a debut is exactly one opportunity.
Player details
| Full name | Ayub Chand |
|---|---|
| Country | Nepal |
Ayub Chand at NPL 2026
Verified season-by-season NPL figures for Ayub Chand. Figures marked unavailable were not published in the verified record behind this page.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Sudurpaschim Royals | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Records & achievements
- Bought by Sudurpaschim Royals for NPR 2 lakh at the 6 July 2026 auction in Kathmandu
- One of six Royals auction signings completing the 16-man Season 3 squad
- No prior NPL appearances in the verified record
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Ayub Chand play for in NPL Season 3?
Sudurpaschim Royals, who bought him at the July 2026 auction for NPR 2 lakh.
What is Ayub Chand's playing role?
Not specified in verified reports. He arrives as a low-cost squad option rather than a defined XI player.
Has Ayub Chand played in the NPL before?
There is no verified prior NPL record for him behind this profile.
Follow Sudurpaschim Royals
Sudurpaschim Royals squad lists every player and how each one joined the Season 3 side.
Sources and verification
Checked October 2026. Records describe the dated reports linked here; a signing does not guarantee selection or availability for every match.