Photo: nplt20league.com
Karnali YaksGulshan Kumar Jha is a Nepal all-rounder who will represent Karnali Yaks in NPL Season 3. Karnali made him their maximum-bracket buy in the inaugural 2024 auction and retained him for Season 3 alongside captain Sompal Kami, one of two national-team regulars in the core. He became the youngest cricketer ever to play ODI cricket for Nepal at 15, and famously took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in the same ODI. His ODI best of 67 not out underlines that the batting is no afterthought.
The left-hand batter and right-arm medium-pacer is a genuine all-round package. In Nepal Premier League Season 3, he anchors the retained core.
About Gulshan Kumar Jha
Gulshan Kumar Jha became the youngest cricketer ever to play ODI cricket for Nepal when he debuted at 15, and he has been defying his age ever since. The Malangwa, Sarlahi-born left-hander famously took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in the same ODI as a teenager — a genuine all-round landmark that remains the signature performance of his young career.
His T20I debut followed against the Philippines in February 2022, and an ODI best of 67 not out underlines that the batting is no afterthought. Karnali made him their maximum-bracket buy in the inaugural 2024 auction and retained him for Season 3. Born 17 February 2006, he is still only 20 — one of two national-team regulars, alongside captain Sompal Kami, anchoring the retained core.
Player details
| Full name | Gulshan Kumar Jha |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 February 2006 |
| Birthplace | Malangwa, Sarlahi |
| Country | Nepal |
| Batting style | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium |
Playing style and strengths
Gulshan is that rare modern commodity: a left-handed batter who bowls genuine right-arm medium pace. With the bat he is strong square of the wicket, with the pull and cut as stock scoring shots, and his ODI best of 67 not out shows he can construct an innings rather than just swing. With the ball he hits the deck and skids it through, most effective in the middle overs when batters are forced to attack him — his teenage five-for is proof he can run through sides, not merely contain.
He is also among Nepal's most athletic fielders; 17 T20I catches is a serious number for a 20-year-old and reflects the ground he covers in the deep. Left-hand bat, right-arm pace, livewire in the field — the complete T20 package.
Gulshan Kumar Jha's role at Karnali Yaks in Season 3
Gulshan is Karnali's pace-bowling all-rounder and arguably their most important domestic player. Expect him at six or seven, providing the left-hand contrast in a lower middle order otherwise stacked with right-handers — Akbar Ali, Pawan Sarraf — and then bowling two to four overs of medium pace, likely through the middle phase and possibly at the death alongside Sompal Kami.
His partnership with Sarraf is the key domestic all-round axis: Sarraf's off-break against Gulshan's seam gives the captain a spin-or-pace choice every over. Retained as a core national-team regular, Gulshan is also the bridge between the senior internationals and the teenagers — Bipin Sharma, Yuvraj Khatri — in a squad deliberately built young around its leaders.
Gulshan Kumar Jha at NPL Season 3
How Gulshan Kumar Jha’s NPL career breaks down, season by season.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2024 (Season 1) | Karnali Yaks | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL 2025 (Season 2) | Karnali Yaks | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL Season 3 (Season 3) | Karnali Yaks | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Gulshan Kumar Jha play for in NPL Season 3?
He plays for Karnali Yaks, retained as one of the two national-team regulars in the core.
How old is Gulshan Kumar Jha?
He was born on 17 February 2006 in Malangwa, Sarlahi.
What is his playing style?
Left-hand batter and right-arm medium-pacer — a genuine all-round package.
Why is he famous?
He is the youngest cricketer ever to play for Nepal, debuting in ODIs at 15, and he once took a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in the same ODI.
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