Everest Premier League (EPL), a franchise Twenty20 cricket tournament starting from September 25, has unveiled the winners' trophy amidst a sponsorship signing ceremony in Kathmandu on Monday.

Shekhar Golchha, the president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, unveiled a replica of the trophy. EPL managing director Amir Akhtar claimed that the trophy was designed by the company that manufactures the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy. He however, declined to name the manufacturer.

EPL also announced two-wheeler Bajaj Pulsar as the title sponsor for the upcoming edition of the tournament. Golchha, also the managing director of the Hansaraj Hulaschand and Company, the authorised distributor and producer of Bajaj motorbikes in Nepal, exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EPL managing director Amir Akhtar. The sponsorship amount, however, was not disclosed.

"We have been associated with the prestigious Sports Award for almost two decades and the Bajaj Pulsar stands for sports. We also have associations with football and cricket in the past. We are delighted to be associated with the biggest sports event of the country," said Golchha.

"Some have even questioned if it was the right decision to be the sponsor during the Covid-19 pandemic. But everyone is affected by the pandemic and the show must go on. We must continue sports to bring positivity and growth," he added.

The last edition of the tournament was cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Akhtar said that they would follow all the guidelines set by the Government and the Ministry of Health and Population while conducting the event. "The entry of spectators and their numbers will depend upon the situation and we will follow all the protocols set by authorities," said Akthar.

The six-team franchise tournament to take place at the TU grounds in Kirtipur has attracted some of the big names of international cricket including former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Danish Aziz. While Afridi will play for Kathmandu Kings XI, Aziz will be featuring for Chitwan Tigers. EPL also announced that Pakistan's Shoaib Malik and West Indies' Carlos Braithwaite will be the other international stars in the tournament in the 14-day event.

West Indies' batsman Chrish Gayle and South African Hashim Amla had confirmed participation in the last edition of the tournament but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.