The second season of the Nepal Premier League kicks off Monday, with defending champions Janakpur Bolts taking on Kathmandu Gorkhas in the tournament opener, launching what the Cricket Association of Nepal has branded as the ‘Festival of Himalayas’.

Millions of Nepali fans have embraced the domestic T20 cricket tournament as a new festival in the Nepali calendar.

“We are all set to make the second season bigger and better than the inaugural one, which was itself historical,” Chatur Bahadur Chand, president of the Cricket Association of Nepal, said during a press meet organised by Nepali cricket’s governing body to inform about the tournament’s preparations, on Saturday. “We have almost completed our preparations.”

After the first NPL concluded on December 21 last year, the CAN closed the TU International Cricket Ground for major renovations—construction of concrete parapets with structured seating for 10,000 fans and the installation of floodlights to host night matches.

And in around eight months, the TU International Cricket Ground, the home of Nepali cricket, has turned into a stadium. The Janakpur vs Kathmandu fixture, starting at 4pm, will mark not only the inauguration of the second NPL but the ushering of Nepali cricket into a new era—it will be the first match being played under the floodlights at the TU ground and fans seated on a proper parapet rather than the grassy slope.

“The technical team assured us that the floodlights would be fully operational to light up the TU Stadium, starting from the first match,” Paras Khadka, secretary at the CAN, said in the press meet while responding to the concerns over the floodlights’ readiness. “We trust them and have revealed the fixtures for matches in both day and night time.”

Of the 32 total matches—28 in the league stage and four in the playoffs—23 are being played under the lights. On Saturday night, all six floodlight pillars were successfully tested, illuminating the venue perfectly.

At least Rs400 million in earnings

The CAN expects to earn around Rs400 million from the second season of the NPL.

“We have already signed sponsorship deals worth around Rs154 million,” informed Padam Khadka, treasurer at the CAN. “We have levied Rs90 million as renewal fees from the eight franchises, while the agreement for the tournament’s broadcast on over-the-top (OTT) platform is worth Rs53 million.”

The CAN has said that once the amount collected by the OTT platform through a Rs300-worth subscription crosses Rs53 million, the profits will be shared—the CAN will receive 71 percent. There will be clean feed on the OTT platform alongside Star Sports, which will also broadcast the NPL for viewers outside Nepal.

Likewise, another agreement for broadcast in Nepal-based television is expected to be worth at least Rs10 million.

“And we expect to earn something in between Rs80 million to Rs120 million from ticket sales,” Khadka said.

‘To prove Nepal is back to normal’

The second NPL was also not left unaffected from the tremors of the Gen Z uprising of September 8 and 9. However, at a time when several sports have struggled to bring in sponsors, the CAN has managed the financial aspect.

“Through the NPL, we aim to show the world that Nepal is back to normal,” Khadka, the former Nepali national team captain, said. “The success of the second NPL would also be instrumental in assuring the ICC that Nepal can host the Global Qualifier for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.”

The ICC, on July 31, had declared Nepal as the hosts for the event with the two grounds of Mulpani as the venues for the 21-day event. It starts on January 12, 2026, with 10 teams competing for four spots at the main event in England and Wales.

The ICC has not backed off its decision to let Nepal host the event. After Papua New Guinea, winner of the East Asia Pacific Qualifier, became the final 10th team to participate in the Global Qualifier, the ICC, on September 15, had announced Nepal as the host.

“Nonetheless, the ICC is looking at how the 2nd NPL turns out to further cement their belief in Nepal and decide whether to permit Nepal to host the Global Qualifier,” Khadka said. “We request Nepalis to unite for peace.”

Further, Khadka, who is also the coordinator of the NPL Governing Council, informed that the CAN was preparing to host a Test nation at the TU International Cricket Stadium for a friendly series with the Nepal men’s team, who will be participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8 next year.

Security arrangements

The CAN also informed that they were in proper communication and coordination with the security forces and government authorities to ensure proper security for fans and players throughout the tournament.

There are several big names of international cricket that have been signed by the eight franchises to provide an interesting showdown of cricket to millions of cricket fans.

“Moreover, the CAN is also serious about mitigating the risks of match fixings and betting,” Khadka said. “A police inspector each has been deployed as a security liaison officer with the eight franchises and the officer is monitoring them 24/7. The officer sends daily reports to the anti-corruption unit of the CAN, and it is also forwarded to the ICC.”

Khadka added that officers will be deployed to prevent betting at the venue as well. There have been several instances where Nepal Police have arrested betters from the TU Cricket Ground. Over 20 individuals were arrested during the Nepal vs UAE fixture in November 2022, while four Indian nationals were arrested during the inaugural NPL.

In order to prevent a situation like the one during the first NPL, wherein around half-a-dozen fans were injured in a stampede-like situation while trying to forcefully enter the venue after the gates were shut, Khakda suggests that the fans use designated gates. “We also request the fans without tickets to stay at home, enjoy the games on digital platforms, and try getting tickets on other match days,” Khadka said.