Kathmandu, September 24

EPL Pvt Ltd today opened the registration for players for auction of the Everest Premier League, Twenty20 cricket tournament.

The online registration of the cricketers will be held between September 25 to October 9, while the auction is slated for October 23, informed EPL Pvt Ltd Managing Director Aamir Akhtar. The EPL will be organised in December at the Tribhuvan University Stadium.

The organisers have classified the cricketers into three categories and a total of 70 players would be considered for auction. National team cricketers with three years of experience are in placed in Category A and they can be bought for Rs 100,000 to Rs 175,000. Each of the six city-based teams can have a maximum of five players from the category.

Similarly, players with less than three international matches as well as members of U-16 and U-19 teams are in Category B. The base amount of these cricketers is set at Rs 75,000 and each team should have at least four players from this category. Players who have been playing national level events for the last five years will be kept in  Category C. The base price for the category is Rs 50,000.

Kathmandu Kings XI, Lalitpur Patriots, Biratnagar Warriors, Bhairahawa Gladiators, Pokhara Rhinos and Chitwan Tigers are competing in the city-based event with the winners earning a cheque Rs 2.1 million.

Sompal Kami, national team vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, national team skipper Paras Khadka, Sharad Vesawkar, Shakti Gauchan and U-19 team skipper Dipendra Singh Airee have already been revealed as marquee players of their respective teams.

Meanwhile, EPL Pvt Ltd signed the co-sponsorship deal with money transfer company, IME. EPL MD Akhtar and IME’s Senior Managar Daniel Shrestha singed the Memorandum of Understanding. As per the agreement, IME will support EPL with players’ registration and ticketing.

Shrestha said the IME decided to get association with EPL because of its brand and social values. “We are aware that cricket is popular among youth and the event will justify our brand. We also hope that this agreement will contribute in the development of cricket,” said Shrestha.