Chitwan RhinosKushal Malla is a Nepal all-rounder who will captain Chitwan Rhinos in NPL Season 3. Marquee player in 2024, 2025 and Season 3, the 22-year-old leads the franchise into the Nepal Premier League 2026. The left-hander owns one of the most famous innings in Nepal's history, a 34-ball T20I hundred against Mongolia at the Asian Games. Across 61 T20 internationals he strikes above 136 and has taken 20 wickets with slow left-arm orthodox.
His brief is the heaviest in the squad: premier batter, frontline spinner, and leader of a rebuild from two wins. If Chitwan reaches the playoffs, it will be because his batting and bowling both delivered and the squad followed.
About Kushal Malla
Kushal Malla is the name Chitwan Rhinos is built around: marquee player in 2024, 2025 and again in Season 3, and now the franchise's captain for 2026. The 22-year-old left-hander owns one of the most famous innings in Nepal's history — a 34-ball T20I hundred against Mongolia at the Asian Games — and across 61 T20 internationals he has scored at above 136 with the bat and taken 20 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox. Season 3 is his first campaign as captain, tasked with lifting the Rhinos from two wins back toward the playoffs.
Marquee in all three seasons — no Rhinos identity exists without him — and the Desert Vipers signing for the ILT20 in December 2024 was the outside world's confirmation of what Nepal already knew. Player of the match against Janakpur Bolts in December 2024 (72 from 41 balls and two wickets) showed the two-skill game in one evening. Now the captaincy as well: the 2024 Eliminator run is the standard this squad is trying to rediscover, and he was there for it.
Playing style and strengths
Malla's batting is left-handed power built for T20: a strike rate above 136 across 61 internationals, a 34-ball hundred against Mongolia that was the fastest T20I hundred at the time, and a 72 from 41 balls against Janakpur Bolts that won him player of the match. The game is acceleration — the middle overs taken apart, the boundary found when the innings needs lifting. As a left-hander in a largely right-handed batting unit, his angle at the crease is itself a matchup, forcing bowlers to change lines they have grooved all innings.
The slow left-arm orthodox is a genuine second skill, not a captain's part-time: 20 T20I wickets at best 4 for 33. In T20, left-arm spin is the middle-overs matchup weapon against right-hand batters — the ball turning away, the dot-ball squeeze that builds pressure for the quicks. Add the captaincy — bowling changes, field settings, the tempo of the whole side — and Malla's Season 3 workload is the heaviest in the squad: premier batter, frontline spinner, and the 22-year-old leader all at once.
Kushal Malla's role at Chitwan Rhinos in Season 3
Malla's Season 3 role is everything at once: captain, marquee batter, frontline spinner. The squad is built around him the way the franchise has been built around him for three seasons — the batting order's power core, the spin attack's left-arm half alongside Sikandar Raza's off-spin. That left-right spin twin is his tactical signature as captain: Raza turning it one way, Malla the other, up to eight overs of turn that squeeze the middle of the innings.
The leadership brief is the season's biggest story: two wins last season, a fanbase that remembers the 2024 Eliminator, and a dressing room with two 40-plus overseas winners in Bopara and Raza to lean on. The Desert Vipers ILT20 stint gave him a look at elite franchise environments; now he has to build one. If Chitwan returns to the playoffs, it will be because the 22-year-old captain's two skills both fired — and the squad followed.
Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kushal Malla |
| Date of birth | 5 March 2004 |
| Country | Nepal |
| Playing role | Batting all-rounder |
| Batting style | Left-handed |
| Bowling style | Slow left-arm orthodox |
Kushal Malla at NPL 2026
Season-by-season NPL figures for Kushal Malla.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2024 (Season 1) | Chitwan Rhinos | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL 2025 (Season 2) | Chitwan Rhinos | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available | Not publicly available |
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Chitwan Rhinos | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Kushal Malla career records
Available career figures from the verified record.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 61 | 1000+ | 20 | 4/33 | 1/— |
Records & achievements
- 34-ball hundred against Mongolia at the Asian Games — the fastest T20I hundred at the time
- Marquee player in 2024, 2025 and Season 3; confirmed captain for 2026
- Signed by Desert Vipers for the ILT20 in December 2024
- Player of the match vs Janakpur Bolts in December 2024 — 72 from 41 balls and two wickets
- 61 T20Is at a strike rate above 136, with 20 wickets at best 4 for 33
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Kushal Malla play for in NPL Season 3?
Kushal Malla plays for Chitwan Rhinos in NPL Season 3.
How old is Kushal Malla?
22 — born 5 March 2004.
What is Kushal Malla's role?
A left-handed batting all-rounder who bowls slow left-arm orthodox.
Is Kushal Malla the Chitwan Rhinos captain?
Yes — the franchise confirmed him as captain for the 2026 season, his third straight campaign as marquee player.
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