The Twenty20 World Cup is being held in India and Sri Lanka in three months. This is the biggest tournament in the shortest format of cricket and Nepal has already qualified for it. It is against this backdrop that the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is taking place.
What you should know
Finally, a Nepali product has been created that the rest of the world is eager to see, understand and experience. The second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is starting on Monday at the Tribhuvan University Ground in Kirtipur.
This tournament started only last year. The NPL still has many weaknesses, criticisms are also common, and there is no certainty about the future, but it has been a tournament that has brought many positive waves.
Shivnaran Chandrapal, a celebrity in world cricket, said after arriving in Kathmandu, ‘The world is watching your country’s cricket because of this tournament.’ This time he is appearing as the coach of Janakpur Bolts. Janakpur will face Kathmandu Gorkhas in the inaugural match of the NPL.
Paras Khadka, secretary of the organizing Nepal Cricket Association (CAN), says that the NPL is a brick added to take Nepali cricket to a higher level. ‘We are grateful to everyone. This is not a tournament that was prepared in a day. Its foundation was prepared much earlier,’ he says. Khadka has been in the role of player and captain for a long time. The essence of his statement while appearing before the Nepali media on Friday was, ‘There is a lot of work left.’
Although franchise cricket has a long history in Nepal, CAN itself has been conducting such a tournament since last year. It was a huge success in its first attempt. The first edition won the hearts of many.
The NPL gained attention all over the world due to the significant attendance of the audience, the arrival of some very famous international foreign players, and the exciting series of games. To some extent, similar tournaments held in big cricket countries have also proven to be weak in front of its brilliance.
The NPL was widely discussed within the country. Cricket had become a topic of conversation among common Nepalis while having tea. Last year, Janakpur Bolts became the champion. They defeated Sudurpaschim Royals in the final. Apart from these two, Chitwan Rhinos and Karnali Yaks reached the play-offs.
Kathmandu Gorkhas, Biratnagar Kings, Pokhara Avengers and Lumbini Lions were stopped in the league stage. The format of this time's tournament is the same, initially
They will play each other once. At the end of the league stage, the play-off equation will be formed and then the final. Everyone is curious, what will be the taste of this? Who will shine with the bat and who will do well with the ball? And what about fielding?
As the league stage matches progress, not only wins and losses will be decisive, on some occasions the net run rate will be calculated. For this reason, the coach and his assistants will also have an eye on mathematical calculations. And this is where the general audience who understand cricket will also be excited.
World Cup selection in the background
The Twenty20 World Cup is being held in India and Sri Lanka in three months. This is the biggest tournament in the shortest format of cricket and Nepal has already qualified for it. The NPL is being held against this background. Last year's NPL had somehow helped the Nepali team for the World Cup qualification. Will this time's tournament inspire them to play well in the next World Cup? Will Nepal be able to defeat some Test-recognized country?
Nepal's performance in the Asia and East Asia Pacific qualifiers for the World Cup was amazing, not only did the team get selected, but it also became the champion. Nepal did not lose a single match in that tournament held in Muscat, Oman.
In addition, as a preparation for that selection, Nepal played a three-match series against the West Indies and won it 2-1. Chandrapal, who was impressed by watching that series, said, 'The West Indies were not weak, so Nepal definitely has something to beat that team.' There is no doubt that this NPL will be a preparation for the World Cup to be held in the first week of February.
New stadium and floodlights
This time's NPL will be different and special for two reasons. The first reason is the renovated Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground. The second is the match to be played under floodlights. That means that after some matches, it will be 8 pm. Floodlights will be turned on in that match. The stadium filled with spectators will look charming under floodlights.
What the general audience needs to understand is that there is a difference between cricket played in the sunshine during the day and cricket played in the evening. The toss will play a big role in the match after 4 pm. The team that wins the toss first will have a higher chance of bowling first because bowling and fielding will not be easy in artificial light.
The ‘dew factor’ could create havoc this time. It is called the miracle of frost. Due to frost, the ball becomes wet, so there is a possibility of it breaking. It will also be difficult for the bowler to get a ‘grip’. Due to frost, the swing and spin of the ball will also be affected. The journey taken by the ball will also be slower, so batting will be a little easier.
But these decisive factors will make cricket more exciting, even though it is complicated in itself. Having said all this, one fact is certain, modern cricket is a day-night game, that is, ‘day and night games’. It's strange to think about it in a general way, what would happen if we played in artificial light like this? But it will make Nepali players more mature and prepare them for future challenges. That is, for now, the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
