Pokhara AvengersKushal Bhurtel is a Nepal batter who will captain Pokhara Avengers in NPL Season 3 after being retained as the franchise's marquee domestic player. Born in Butwal on 22 January 1997, he is the defining batter of Nepal's T20I era: 81 T20Is, 2,329 runs at an average of 32.35 and a strike rate of 136.28, with three centuries. His 74 ODIs and 1,701 runs underline a complete international batter rather than a T20 freelancer.
In the Nepal Premier League Season 3, his brief is singular: lead a rebuilt squad - new head coach Ajantha Mendis, two overseas stars and a record domestic signing - to the franchise's first playoff appearance. Everything at Pokhara runs through Bhurtel this season.
About Kushal Bhurtel
Kushal Bhurtel is the player Pokhara Avengers refused to rebuild without — retained as marquee domestic batter and captain for NPL Season 3, the one name the franchise's entire project is built around. Born on 22 January 1997 in Butwal, he has become the defining batter of Nepal's T20I era: 81 T20Is, 2,329 runs at an average of 32.35 and a strike rate of 136.28, with three centuries — numbers that pair rare consistency with genuine aggression.
The 74 ODIs and 1,701 runs alongside them confirm the range: this is not a T20 freelancer but a complete international batter. For Season 3, Pokhara has given him a rebuilt squad — new head coach Ajantha Mendis, overseas stars Shakib Al Hasan and Dhananjaya Lakshan, and a record domestic signing in keeper Arjun Gharti — and one clear mission: lead the franchise to its first playoff appearance.
Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kushal Bhurtel |
| Country | Nepal |
| Date of birth | 22 January 1997 |
| Birthplace | Butwal |
| Playing role | Batter |
| Batting style | Right-hand bat |
Playing style and strengths
Bhurtel's game is built on a combination T20 cricket rarely produces: an average of 32.35 with a strike rate of 136.28. Most batters choose — accumulate or attack — but across 81 T20Is he has done both, which tells you his technique holds up at pace. The right-hander scores quickly without the boom-bust pattern: he manipulates fields early, finds boundaries without slogging, and his three centuries prove he converts starts into match-defining innings rather than cameos.
His strength as a top-order batter is tempo control. With the experience of 74 ODIs behind him, Bhurtel reads match situations the way few domestic-league captains can — when to attack the powerplay, when to target a tiring spinner, when to take an innings deep. That game-awareness is also his leadership tool: he does not just set fields, he sets the batting standard, and a captain with 2,329 international T20 runs at a strike rate of 136 carries a dressing room without raising his voice.
Kushal Bhurtel's role at Pokhara Avengers in Season 3
Kushal Bhurtel's role at Pokhara Avengers in Season 3 is everything at once: captain, marquee batter, and the face of a franchise chasing its first playoff. With the bat he is the top-order anchor the entire innings is structured around — the player Shakib Al Hasan, Dhananjaya Lakshan and keeper Arjun Gharti bat around, not ahead of. His 136.28 strike rate means he can set the tempo himself rather than depending on others to do it.
As captain, his task is integration: blending two overseas stars, six auction buys and seven retained players into a unit under a new head coach in Mendis, and doing it while carrying the batting load himself. The spin resources are rich — Shakib's left-arm orthodox and Sagar Dhakal's finger-spin at Kirtipur — which gives Bhurtel genuine tactical options through the middle overs. But the season will be judged on one thing: whether the most accomplished batter in Pokhara's history can drag his franchise into the top four for the first time. Nothing less will do.
Kushal Bhurtel at NPL Season 3
Season-by-season Nepal Premier League figures for Kushal Bhurtel.
| 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) | Pokhara Avengers | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL Season 3 (Season 3) | Pokhara Avengers | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Kushal Bhurtel career records
Available senior career figures for Kushal Bhurtel as stated in verified reports.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best bowling | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 81 | 2,329 | N/A | N/A | 3 / Not publicly available |
| ODI | 74 | 1,701 | N/A | N/A | Not publicly available |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NPL team does Kushal Bhurtel play for?
Kushal Bhurtel plays for — and captains — Pokhara Avengers in NPL Season 3 (2026).
How old is Kushal Bhurtel?
Born on 22 January 1997 in Butwal, he is 29 years old as of October 2026.
What are Kushal Bhurtel's international numbers?
81 T20Is: 2,329 runs at 32.35, strike rate 136.28, three centuries — plus 74 ODIs with 1,701 runs.
Was Kushal Bhurtel retained or bought at auction?
He was retained as the franchise's marquee domestic player and captain; no auction price is attached to him.
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