A day before the third season of the Nepal Premier League kicked off on October 26, three Bangladeshi journalists arrived at TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. The media box was still not fully set up.

However, the trio left their belongings in the open media box and then headed towards the Tribhuvan International Airport. The biggest name in Bangladesh cricket, Shakib Al Hasan, was landing in Kathmandu to play for Pokhara Avengers in the franchise league.

Shakib is not living in Bangladesh right now. After the Sheikh Hasina-led government was toppled in August 2024, Shakib, who was associated with Hasina’s party—Awami League—could not return to Bangladesh. Then why are Bangladeshi journalists focusing on Shakib?

Shakib reigned as the world’s top-ranked all-rounder in all three formats of the game. Shakib achieved the feat for the first time in 2015, and no one has achieved the feat since.

“Shakib has his followers as well as haters,” said Kawser Shanto, one of the three Bangladeshi journalists who are in Kathmandu to cover the NPL. “But he is the biggest name in Bangladeshi cricket history.”

Alongside Kawser, who represents Cricfrenzy, Munna Chandra Das of Sea Sports and Al Mahmud Fahim of bdcrictime.com have come to Kathmandu.

“We go to franchise tournaments wherever Bangladeshi players are playing,” said Al Mahmud. “We have covered the Pakistan Super League, Lanka Premier League and ILT20.”

Shakib was a major reason behind the journalists’ 600-mile journey. But there were nine others too.

They say that it is the first time that a franchise cricket tournament outside their country is seeing as many as 10 Bangladeshi players in a single season.

“Well, it is the result of how well the NPL is creating a buzz globally,” said Munna. “NPL has its craze growing in Bangladesh, after all, so many players are playing here.”

There were no Bangladeshi cricketers in the first two seasons of the Nepal Premier League. In the third season, there are 10.

From Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s all-time second-most leading run scorer and wicket taker in ODIs and T20Is, to youngsters like Ariful Islam and Jishan Alam, NPL Season 3 is seeing Bangladeshi talents raise the standard of the tournament. 

The 10 players have been signed by five franchises. Karnali Yaks and Pokhara Avengers have the highest number of Bangladeshi players: three each.

Alongside Shakib, Pokhara have Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin. The Yaks are opening with Islam and Alam, while Akbar Ali has played two games for Karnali.

Similarly, Kathmandu Gorkhas have Ripon Mondol, Janakpur Bolts have Saif Hassan and Parvez Hossain Emon, and Lumbini Lions have Shamim Hossain. 

And it is Ariful who is making one of the biggest noises in the third season. Opening for the Yaks, he has scored 119 runs in three games. 

He smashed 44 off 22 against Kathmandu, 32 off 12 against Biratnagar Kings and 43 off 29 against Janakpur. Karnali won against Janakpur and Biratnagar, but lost to Kathmandu.

“Powerplay is important in T20 cricket,” Ariful said after the loss against Kathmandu on Monday. “It is why I come with the intent of attacking from the very first ball and scoring more runs for the team.”

Jishan, meanwhile, could only score 7 off 5 in his NPL debut—against Kathmandu on Monday. Ariful and Jishan, both 21-year-olds, have not yet played for the Bangladeshi national team.

“Ariful and Jishan both have chances to represent the Bangladeshi national team soon,” said Kawser. “Ariful plays with his mind while Jishan is a power hitter. Performing well in the NPL is essential for them.”

It only takes about an hour and forty-five minutes to reach Kathmandu from Dhaka via a direct flight, making Nepal easily accessible for Bangladeshi players. 

However, it has not been easy for all the Bangladeshi players—including Shakib—on the tough surface of TU Ground.

Shakib’s last match for Bangladesh was the two-match Test series against India in Kanpur in September-October of 2024. Fast forward two years, Shakib is not having a good time with Pokhara as the team has lost all three matches. Pokhara’s third loss came against Lumbini Lions on Tuesday.

Shakib has not been effective with the bat so far, having scored 14 against Sudurpaschim, 9 against Janakpur, and just 3 against Lumbini. But he has taken four wickets in three games. Against Lumbini, he was wicketless in the two overs he bowled. 

Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi player lifted the grandstands on Tuesday. Saif Hassan, who debuted for Bangladesh in February 2020 and is playing for Janakpur, almost won it for the Bolts.

Chasing 175 against Biratnagar, Saif came after the fall of the first wicket and was there until the last delivery. With 71 off 47, he was on strike when the inaugural season champion required three runs off the last ball. He was able to connect the short ball from Andre Russell, but got caught out near the boundary rope.

“I was disappointed for not being able to win it for the team despite taking them so close to the win,” Saif said in the post-match press conference. “This team will do better in the upcoming matches.”

“Bangladesh players have been playing franchise cricket all around the world. It is probably why so many players are here as well,” replied Saif when asked the reason behind the increase in Bangladeshi players coming to the NPL in the third season. “We are grateful to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for letting us play here and granting the NOC easily.”

Saif also stressed that the NPL was a good platform for Bangladeshi players.

“This is a good platform to showcase the skills in front of big stars,” Saif, who has played six Tests, 15 ODIs and 31 T20Is for Bangladesh, said. “For players like Ariful and Jishan, who are looking to be part of the national team, performing in the NPL will help them. I think all these boys playing here are well experienced now.”

Alongside Shakib and Saif, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Ripon Mondol, Parvez Hossain Emon and Shannon Hossain have played in the national team. 

While it is the first time Bangladeshi players have come to the NPL, it is not the first time in Nepal’s franchise cricket history.

Tamim Iqbal, who is currently the president of the BCB, had played for Bhairahawa Gladiators in the fourth and last season of the Everest Premier League in 2021. 

And the Bangladeshi players are enjoying it in the NPL.

“The crowd is very much passionate about the NPL. They are supporting every team,” Ariful said. “Everything is good here [in Nepal].”

It is not that the highest number of foreign players in the NPL’s third season hail from Bangladesh. There are more players from Sri Lanka: 11. However, Bangladeshi players are getting more limelight with their performance on the pitch and their massive fan following back home.

While other Bangladeshi players are yet to show their calibre in full, there is one fixture that the global cricketing world must be waiting for: Pokhara Avengers vs Biratnagar Kings. Or, let’s say, Shakib vs Angelo Mathews. 

Sri Lanka’s Mathews became the first player in international cricket history to be dismissed via a “timed-out” appeal during the 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh, following a heated controversy initiated by Shakib, who was then Bangladesh’s captain. 

Biratnagar are one of the three franchises—including Sudurpaschim Royals and Chitwan Rhinos—without any Bangladeshi players in the squad.

“I would have told you if I was the owner,” Biratnagar skipper Sandeep Lamichhane replied last week when a Bangladeshi journalist asked why his team did not get any player from Bangladesh.