Janakpur BoltsSantosh 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 Season 3 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 Season 3
Season-by-season Nepal Premier League figures for Santosh Karki.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL Season 3 (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.
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