Imran Sheikh is a Nepal right-handed top-order batter and part-time right-arm off-break bowler who Biratnagar Kings bought for NPR 2 lakh at the NPL Season 3 auction. He made his name in NPL 2025 playing for Karnali Yaks at the top of the order, top-scoring with 33 off 32 balls against defending champions Janakpur Bolts in a famous three-run win as Karnali defended 129. The Kings secured him at the 2-lakh Category C base price on 6 July.
In the Nepal Premier League 2026, the batter brings a proven top-order option with the bonus of occasional off-spin to balance the side.
About Imran Sheikh
Imran Sheikh is a right-handed top-order batter and part-time right-arm off-break bowler who Biratnagar Kings bought for NPR 2 lakh at the Season 3 auction.
He made his name in NPL 2025 for Karnali Yaks, top-scoring with 33 off 32 balls against defending champions Janakpur Bolts in a famous three-run win.
The context of that innings is what earned him a second franchise: Karnali defending just 129 against the defending champions, Sheikh top-scoring with a composed 33 from 32 — strike rotation under scoreboard pressure rather than slogging — in a three-run win that remains one of the NPL’s great upsets.
Bought at the Category C base price of 2 lakh on 6 July, he arrives as a reserve opener behind an international top order — low-cost top-order insurance for a squad whose first-choice combinations will feature overseas and senior Nepali names.
Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Imran Sheikh |
| Date of birth | 22 October 2005 |
| Country | Nepal |
| Playing role | Batter |
| Batting style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling style | Right-arm off break |
Playing style and strengths
Sheikh is a right-hand top-order batter in the anchor mould: his signature innings — 33 from 32 balls — was built on placement and strike rotation rather than power, the template for seeing off the new ball and holding an end while hitters bat around him. That makes him a stylistic contrast to the Kings’ more aggressive top-order options.
His right-arm off-break is listed as part-time, which in T20 terms means a partnership-breaking option rather than a planned spell — useful for a captain who likes match-up overs. The honest caveat is sample size: one famous innings for Karnali Yaks is the public record, so his technique at NPL level is proven in temperament more than in volume. Reserve opener is exactly the right bracket for that profile.
Imran Sheikh's role at Biratnagar Kings in Season 3
Sheikh is the Kings’ reserve opener: top-order cover in a squad whose first-choice top three will be built around retained keeper-batter Lokesh Bam and the overseas signings Charith Asalanka and Shubham Ranjane. At the 2-lakh Category C base price, he is inexpensive insurance against injury, loss of form, or a tactical reshuffle.
His pathway to the XI is specific rather than vague: an injury to a top-order batter, or a horses-for-courses call where the team wants a right-hand anchor at the top instead of an extra hitter. Having already top-scored in a winning NPL cause for Karnali Yaks — against the defending champions, no less — he is not a development project like the Under-19 picks; he is a known-quantity backup, and captains value those.
Imran Sheikh at NPL 2026
Season-by-season Nepal Premier League figures for Imran Sheikh.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2024 (Season 1) | Not publicly available | 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 | 33 | 33 | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Biratnagar Kings | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Records & achievements
- 33 from 32 balls against Janakpur Bolts in NPL 2025, top-scoring as Karnali defended 129 to win by three runs
- Played for Karnali Yaks in the 2025 season, used at the top of the order
- Bought by Biratnagar Kings at the 2-lakh Category C base price on 6 July
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Imran Sheikh play for in NPL Season 3?
Biratnagar Kings, who bought him at the Season 3 auction for NPR 2 lakh.
What is Imran Sheikh’s role?
Right-handed top-order batter who can bowl part-time right-arm off-break.
What is Imran Sheikh best known for?
His 33 off 32 balls against Janakpur Bolts in NPL 2025 — the top score in Karnali Yaks’ three-run win over the defending champions.
Which team did Imran Sheikh play for in NPL 2025?
Karnali Yaks, who did not retain him for Season 3.
Follow Biratnagar Kings
Biratnagar Kings squad lists every player’s Season 3 listing separately — retained core, auction buys and overseas signings. Auction prices apply only to the listed auction transaction; they are not a career salary or a retained-player fee.
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