Santosh Karki is a Nepali wicketkeeper signed by Janakpur Bolts for NPR 3 lakh at the Season 3 mini-auction in Kathmandu on July 6, 2026. One of 52 players picked from 155 registered, he was the only keeper among the club's auction buys, a specialist acquisition in a squad that needed the position filled. A right-hand batter who also bowls right-arm offbreak, he came through Nepal's Under-19s, and his recent T20 batting, 143 runs at a strike rate of 102.14, marks him as a grafter rather than a dasher.
In NPL Season 3, his Nepal Premier League 2026 campaign is a straight duel: his gloves against Anil Kumar Sah's legacy. If Karki wins them, he plays every game.
About Santosh Karki
Santosh Karki was signed by Janakpur Bolts for NPR 3 lakh at the Season 3 mini-auction in Kathmandu on July 6, 2026, listed as a wicketkeeper. He was one of 52 players picked from 155 registered, and the only keeper among the club's auction buys: a specialist acquisition in a squad that needed the position filled. A right-hand batter who bowls right-arm offbreak, he came through Nepal's Under-19s; born in Parsa on July 20, 2003, he is 23. His recent T20 batting — 143 runs at a strike rate of 102.14 — marks him as a grafter rather than a dasher. If he keeps wicket, he plays.
Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Santosh Karki |
| Playing role | Wicketkeeper |
Playing style and strengths
Santosh Karki's primary skill is keeping wicket, and everything else is built around it. As a right-hand batter his recent T20 record — 143 runs at 102.14 — describes a grafter who accumulates rather than explodes, the classic keeper-batter profile: busy between the wickets, strong square on both sides, and comfortable rotating strike for the hitters around him. His right-arm offbreak is a genuine bonus that most keepers do not offer, giving a captain emergency overs without burning a bowler's slot.
Behind the stumps he will be judged on the specifics that decide T20 games: standing up to Janakpur's spin-heavy attack, where Harmeet Singh, Lalit Rajbanshi and Aaditya Mahata all demand a keeper who reads drift and turn off the pitch, and his work to the quicks at the death. At 23 with Under-19 pedigree, his keeping technique is modern — low, still, and quick on the gather — and his glovework against spin will be the skill that wins or loses him the gloves.
Santosh Karki's role at Janakpur Bolts in Season 3
Santosh Karki's Season 3 is a straight duel: his gloves against Anil Kumar Sah's legacy. Sah kept for the Bolts in previous seasons and remains the senior, but Karki is the only specialist keeper Janakpur bought at auction — a 3-lakh signal that the franchise wants a long-term gloveman. If Karki wins the gloves, he plays every game; if Sah keeps, Karki's path narrows to batting alone, where his 102-strike-rate grafting must beat out pure batters. His best XI case is as the keeper at No. 7: a right-hander who can shepherd the lower order while Neesham and Harmeet hit around him, plus emergency off-spin that gives the captain a sixth-bowling cushion.
The tactical wrinkle is his keeping to spin — Janakpur's attack is spin-first, and the keeper who handles Harmeet and Rajbanshi best will own the position. Three lakh for a 23-year-old keeper is a development price; the Bolts will hope it becomes a bargain. And if the gloves go to Sah, Karki's offbreaks keep him in the conversation as the squad's most versatile reserve.
The schedule also argues for two keepers. A long NPL campaign means back-to-back games, travel and niggles, and a squad with only one gloveman is one injury from a crisis. Even if Sah starts with the gloves, Karki's presence lets Harmeet Singh rest his senior without downgrading the position — and every game Karki keeps is a game Sah can play purely as a batter, freshening the 2024 title-winner's legs for the business end. That is the quiet value of a 3-lakh specialist: insurance that can also become the future.
Santosh Karki at NPL 2026
Season-by-season Nepal Premier League figures for Santosh Karki.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Janakpur Bolts | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Santosh Karki play for?
He plays for Janakpur Bolts in NPL Season 3.
What was his auction price?
NPR 3 lakh at the Season 3 mini-auction in Kathmandu on July 6, 2026.
What is his playing role?
He is listed as a wicketkeeper.
Who is his competition for the gloves?
Retained senior Anil Kumar Sah, who has kept wicket for the Bolts in previous seasons.
Follow Janakpur Bolts
Janakpur Bolts squad lists each player's recruitment status separately. Auction prices apply only to the listed auction transaction. They are not a career salary or a retained-player fee.