The second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), held at Tribhuvan University’s International Cricket Stadium since November 17, has sparked concerns among faculty members after some professors faced difficulties entering the campus for official duties.

While the influx of spectators has increased congestion, university officials and the Cricket Association insist the situation is under control. The tournament, featuring a total of eight teams, will run until December 13.

When sporting events are held within the university premises, they are said to affect the university’s teaching and learning activities. Last year too, there was opposition for this reason. This year, professors teaching there were antagonised after they faced difficulties when the police deployed for the security of the tournament stopped them from entering the premises on Tuesday when they approached the university for a meeting.

“I, a professor, could not even reach my department. My ID did not work, and the police spoke rudely. I have to be on leave because of this. Will the university run with only the officials going in, or do teachers also need to be there? Where is the management?” Bini Aryal, a physics professor at Tribhuvan University, wrote this on social media after facing the problem while trying to enter the TU premises on Tuesday.

Professor Mahendra Chalise, who is the dean at the Faculty of Management, expressed similar concerns. “Whether or not sports events should be organised inside the university premises is something I would not like to discuss,” Chalise told the Post while speaking about the difficulties he faced on Tuesday. “But the Faculty of Management conducts classes very close to the stadium, and this will inconvenience us throughout the tournament.”

Although there had previously been talk of creating a separate access route to the stadium, no such arrangement has been made, he noted.

At present, spectators coming to watch the cricket tournament enter through the main gate of the university, which lies on the main road from Balkhu towards Dakshinkali. There is also an entry route to the stadium from Kirtipur Tinkune, and another access point from the Kalanki side into the university grounds. However, most of the people enter the stadium from the main gate on the Balkhu–Dakshinkali road.

“Even when I went in a vehicle with a government number plate, I was obstructed from entering the university,” Chalise complained. “The police did not behave properly even after seeing the government number plate.”

While such complaints are being raised by the professors, Tribhuvan University Registrar Kedar Risal said that although the University premises are slightly more crowded than on normal days, the situation is not so disorderly that professors are being denied entry.

Risal explains that the university, which usually sees a daily movement of four to five thousand people, is currently experiencing an inflow of around twenty thousand people, which has naturally increased congestion. However, he insists that there is no situation in which professors are unable to enter campus.

“Compared to last year, events held on the university grounds this year are much more organised,” Risal told the Post. “We are coordinating with the Cricket Association Nepal and the Nepal Police to make the management more efficient.”

CAN spokesperson Chhumbi Lama also denied that the university commute was affected because of the tournament.

“As per our earlier plan, we have arranged for spectators to enter the stadium through a gate different from the university’s main entrance. Therefore, this year, the university should not be affected because of us,” Lama said.

“We are only managing the gate designated for stadium entry. The management of the university’s entrance is still the responsibility of the TU itself, Lama added.

Kathmandu District Police Range spokesperson Pawan Kumar Bhattarai said that the issue had arisen due to a minor misunderstanding, and that they sat with the relevant university officials on Wednesday and resolved the problem.

The ground within Tribhuvan University, originally an internal sports field, has been under development as an international cricket stadium since 1998. As interest in cricket grew across the country, the previous KP Sharma Oli-led government, in its first Cabinet decision in 2024 , approved the upgrade of the stadium into a parapet and floodlights.

Under this plan, the first phase included the construction of a parapet accommodating 10,000 spectators and the installation of six floodlights to allow matches to be held at night. According to the government’s master plan, the second phase will see the stadium upgraded to host 25,000 spectators and feature all modern international-standard cricket facilities.

CAN officials said that, at present, they pay Tribhuvan University Rs900,000 annually for using the ground. The agreement between the university and CAN for the use of the ground expires in mid-March next year.