The much-awaited Nepal Premier League (NPL) has started from Saturday at the Trivi Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. The opponents in the opening match were Janakpur Bolts and Biratnagar Kings. Janakpur got off to a good start in the NPL by defeating Biratnagar by 8 wickets.

The highest scoring batters from both teams were foreign players. Sri Lanka-born American player Lahiru Milantha contributed 75 runs and Janakpur easily achieved the target of 128 runs. Before that, Biratnagar scored 127 runs with the help of Martin Guptill from New Zealand with 55 runs.

A lot of memorable and some forgettable events happened during the opening match of NPL. Spectators started arriving more than three hours before the match started. However, not all those supporters were equally lucky. Only those who bought tickets could not reach the audience. On the contrary, some supporters were injured by police lathi charge. 

Security arrangements are always lax in Nepal on the occasion of a big game. The situation remained almost the same in the match between Janakpur and Biratnagar. Those who could not reach the audience had to be chased by the police in series throughout the match.

This incident has once again proved a fact, Nepali cricket is trying to move forward in terms of popularity and expansion. However, we have neither the physical infrastructure nor the management to suit it. 

Apart from all these forgettable events, the talk of the tournament has touched the point, which says - NPL can give Nepali cricket the form of an industry. This indicates that it will eventually be able to help not only cricket, but many other areas as well.

If agile management and a franchise team to match it will take the tournament forward, its popularity and expansion will surpass the boundaries of Nepali cricket.

can be easily estimated, this time the financial statement of NPL will touch one billion rupees. Even though the economic situation of the country is not very good, all the teams are not only spending freely, they are also getting big brands as sponsors.

Paras Khadka, secretary of Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) and NPL's all-rounder, has repeatedly said, 'NPL is a great opportunity for Nepali cricket, it will take this sport to another level.' 

Just before the start of the opening match another good news came, this time the winner will win Rs 1 crore 11 lakh as prize money. The total prize money is 2 crore 11 lakh rupees. The second runner-up will get 50 lakhs while the third runner-up will get 30 lakhs.

The fourth place winner will get 2 million. The prize money may be nothing before the expenses incurred by each franchise team. Even in this first edition, what each franchise team has spent, a large part of it will remain as investment. 

CAN Secretary Paras himself also agrees, this tournament will not only be profitable, the franchise team itself must be profitable. How will the franchise team be profitable? This is the biggest challenge. However, if the franchise team itself goes forward with strong management, the day will not be far away, when these teams will be profitable or at least not incur losses. 

Karnali Yaks is the most aggressive team in this competition. The team itself has probably brought in Indian star player Shikhar Dhawan at a comparatively higher cost. The dream of a player of his level coming to Nepal and playing in other sports is not even possible, the reality is even more distant. However, Nepali cricket is very lucky because he really came to Nepal.

is now playing at Kirtipur ground. Dhawan also said, 'NPL should only do good, it will benefit the entire country.' Within a few hours of going on sale online, all the tickets for the match were sold out. If the management and security weaknesses are covered, the tournament has really got off to a beautiful and grand start. 

 There are a total of 8 teams in the competition. Players from more than a dozen countries have joined that team. They will initially play each other in the league stage. Then there will be eliminator and qualifier stage matches. The final on December 6 will determine who will be the first historic NPL champion. 

Sandeep Lamichhane is the captain of Biratnagar. He said to the media on the eve of the competition, 'Where this competition will reach, what will happen, will be determined by the next two or three years.' This is the reality.