Kathmandu GorkhasShahab Alam is a Nepalese left-arm spinner who will represent Kathmandu Gorkhas in NPL Season 3, the specialist bowler the franchise retained as one of six domestic players. Bowling slow left-arm orthodox and batting right-handed, he has played T20 internationals for Nepal since his April 2021 debut against the Netherlands. His immediate credential is fresh form on Nepal's August 2026 Darwin tour: 2 for 17 against a Hobart Hurricanes academy side.
In the Nepal Premier League Season 3, Alam enters as the first-choice domestic spinner on Kirtipur's turning tracks, and in a squad with three overseas batters, a domestic spinner who can bowl four overs every game is the attack's foundation.
About Shahab Alam
Shahab Alam is the specialist spinner Kathmandu chose to keep: a slow left-arm orthodox bowler who bats right-handed and has played T20 internationals for Nepal since his April 2021 debut against the Netherlands.
Retained as one of six domestic players, he enters Season 3 as the first-choice domestic spinner on Kirtipur’s turning tracks, fresh from a Darwin tour with the national side in August 2026.
The Darwin form is the immediate credential: 2 for 17 against a Hobart Hurricanes academy side in August 2026, bowling for Nepal on tour. With the Gorkhas since 2024, he is one of the franchise’s longest-serving domestic players — retained not for a single performance but for three seasons of knowing exactly what Kirtipur demands of a spinner. In a squad with three overseas batters, the domestic spinner who can bowl four overs every game is not a luxury but the attack’s foundation.
Player details
| Full name | Shahab Alam |
|---|---|
| Country | Nepal |
| Playing role | Spinner |
| Batting style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling style | Slow left-arm orthodox |
Playing style and strengths
Alam bowls slow left-arm orthodox — flight, drift and turn, the classical spinner’s toolkit. His method is patience: he tosses the ball up, invites the drive, and beats batters in the air as much as off the pitch. The 2 for 17 against the Hobart Hurricanes academy on the Darwin tour is the template — economical, wicket-taking, and achieved against batters raised on pace.
On Kirtipur’s turning tracks, that style is the first-choice weapon: the surface grips, the ball holds up, and a left-armer turning it away from right-handers becomes the middle-overs stranglehold. He bats right-handed down the order — a blocker and nudger rather than a hitter, the kind of tail-ender who can survive ten balls in a tight chase. The defining feature of his Season 3 is reliability: four overs, every match, the spell the captain builds the innings around.
Shahab Alam's role at Kathmandu Gorkhas in Season 3
He is the first-choice domestic spinner — the bowler Karan KC builds the middle overs around. With no overseas frontline spinner in the squad (Arachchige’s off-breaks are the overseas spin option, but his primary job is batting), Alam’s slow left-arm orthodox is the attack’s spin anchor: expect the bulk of his overs between 7 and 15, attacking on Kirtipur’s turning tracks.
The pairing with Santosh Yadav’s left-arm orthodox gives the captain a rare luxury — two left-arm spinners who can bowl in tandem, turning the ball the same way and squeezing right-hand-heavy line-ups from both ends, with Arachchige’s off-breaks offering the contrast. Alam’s retention as one of six domestics, and his presence since 2024, makes him the attack’s institutional memory: he knows which ends grip and when the captain needs a wicket rather than containment. Specialists win tournaments; Kathmandu kept theirs.
Shahab Alam at NPL Season 3
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kathmandu Gorkhas | Season not yet played | |||||
| 2024 | Kathmandu Gorkhas | Not publicly available | |||||
| 2025 | Kathmandu Gorkhas | Not publicly available | |||||
Records & achievements
- T20I debut for Nepal against the Netherlands in April 2021
- With the Gorkhas since 2024; retained as one of six domestic players before the Season 3 auction
- 2 for 17 against a Hobart Hurricanes academy side on Nepal’s Darwin tour in August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Shahab Alam play for in NPL Season 3?
Shahab Alam plays for Kathmandu Gorkhas — he was retained before the Season 3 auction.
What is Shahab Alam’s playing role?
Spinner: slow left-arm orthodox, and a right-hand batter.
When did Shahab Alam debut for Nepal?
In T20Is against the Netherlands in April 2021.
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