Sikandar Raza is a Zimbabwe all-rounder who will represent Chitwan Rhinos in NPL Season 3. Confirmed on August 27, 2026, he is the most decorated overseas name the franchise has signed. Zimbabwe's T20 captain has 9,382 international runs and 252 wickets since his 2013 debut, league titles with Lahore Qalandars, Trinbago Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals, and a 2022 T20 World Cup that made him a global name with decisive performances against Ireland and Pakistan.
He has played in Nepal before: 129 runs and four wickets in five matches for Biratnagar Warriors in the 2021 Everest Premier League, so he arrives pre-adjusted. As Malla's lieutenant in the Nepal Premier League 2026, he is the statement signing this rebuild needs.
About Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza is the most decorated overseas signing in Chitwan's history: Zimbabwe's T20 captain, with 9,382 international runs and 252 wickets since his 2013 debut, and league titles with Lahore Qalandars, Trinbago Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals. The 40-year-old all-rounder — right-handed power in the middle order, genuine off-spin — was confirmed as a Rhinos overseas signing on August 27, 2026. He has been to Nepal before: 129 runs and four wickets in five matches for Biratnagar Warriors in the 2021 Everest Premier League.
The Nepal connection predates the contract — he has played in these conditions, before these crowds, before the NPL existed. The 2022 T20 World Cup made him a global name: decisive in the wins over Ireland and Pakistan, the tournament's standout all-round story. At 40, the arc is the victory lap that keeps winning: a T20 captain, a World Cup giant-killer, a league-title winner on three continents, arriving as the most decorated overseas name the Rhinos have ever signed.
Playing style and strengths
Raza's batting is right-handed middle-order power with a finisher's pedigree: the 2022 T20 World Cup performances against Ireland and Pakistan were decisive innings under the highest pressure, the mark of a player whose game rises with the stakes. Nine thousand international runs do not come from one method — the technique adapts, rebuilding when early wickets fall, accelerating when the death overs arrive. In Chitwan's middle order, he is the proven closer: the batter you want walking in with sixty needed from thirty.
The off-spin is genuine, not a part-time garnish: 252 international wickets, the stock ball of a bowler captains trust with real overs. In T20, off-spin is the middle-overs control weapon — the ball turning into the right-hander, the dot-ball squeeze, the partnership-breaker. Paired with Kushal Malla's slow left-arm orthodox, Raza gives Chitwan the classic left-right spin twin: turn both ways for up to eight overs, the middle of the innings strangled. Add Zimbabwe's T20 captaincy, and the Rhinos have signed a tactician as well as a two-skill star.
Sikandar Raza's role at Chitwan Rhinos in Season 3
Raza's Season 3 role is the marquee overseas all-rounder: the middle order's power core alongside Ravi Bopara, the spin attack's right-arm half alongside Malla. The Bopara-Raza axis is the squad's defining feature — two 40-plus winners, more than 13,000 international runs and 300 wickets between them, owning the middle overs with bat and ball. For a 22-year-old captain in Kushal Malla, Raza is also the on-field lieutenant: Zimbabwe's T20 captain, a veteran of title runs with Lahore Qalandars, Trinbago Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals, available for every bowling change and field-setting conversation.
The EPL 2021 stint matters more than it looks: Raza has played Nepali T20 before and knows the venues' moods. While Kaleem Sana adjusts to a first NPL contract, Raza arrives pre-adjusted — the overseas signing with no settling-in period. In a squad rebuilt to escape two wins, he is the statement that Chitwan is done rebuilding quietly.
Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sikandar Raza |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Playing role | All-rounder |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Bowling style | Off-spin |
Sikandar Raza at NPL 2026
Season-by-season NPL figures for Sikandar Raza.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Chitwan Rhinos | Season not yet played | — | — | — | — | — |
Sikandar Raza career records
Available career figures from the verified record.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everest Premier League 2021 | 5 | 129 | 4 | — | — |
Records & achievements
- 9,382 international runs and 252 wickets since his Zimbabwe debut in 2013
- League titles with Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL) and Dubai Capitals (ILT20)
- Standout performer at the 2022 T20 World Cup — decisive in the wins over Ireland and Pakistan
- 129 runs and four wickets in five matches for Biratnagar Warriors in the 2021 Everest Premier League
- Confirmed as Chitwan's overseas signing on August 27, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team does Sikandar Raza play for in NPL Season 3?
Sikandar Raza plays for Chitwan Rhinos in NPL Season 3.
How old is Sikandar Raza?
40.
Which country does Sikandar Raza represent?
Zimbabwe — he is the national team's T20 captain.
What is Sikandar Raza's role?
An all-rounder — a right-handed middle-order batter and off-spin bowler.
Follow Chitwan Rhinos
Chitwan Rhinos squad lists each player’s Season 3 recruitment status. Auction prices refer to the listed auction transaction only; overseas signings are contracted separately by the franchise.
Sources
Player details above are drawn from the verified reports linked here. A signing confirms squad membership, not selection or availability for every match.