KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 10

The six teams of NepalT20 bought seven Grade A cricketers for the first official premier league of Cricket Association of Nepal, here today.

As per the list of marquee players released by the CAN after the first round of the players' draft, Pokhara Avengers acquired Mohamad Asif Sheikh as a marquee player and also bought Sharad Vesawkar for Rs 1.5 million each.

Lumbini All Stars picked up Dipendra Singh Airee as marquee player, while former national team skipper Gyanendra Malla went to Kathmandu Kantipur.

Likewise, Karan KC was sold to Far-western United, wile national team vice-captain Rohit Kumar Paudel was picked by Biratnagar Super Kings. Janakpur Royals snapped Sompal Kami as their marquee player.

All the marquee players were sold for Rs 1.5 million each.

The Pokhara Avengers became the lone team to buy two Grade A players. 'Pokhara Avengers took an aggressive approach in the players' draft and they were successful in buying Sharad Vesawkar as the second player from Grade A,' said NepalT20 Governing Council Chairman Prashant Bikram Malla in a release.

A total of 12 players were placed in Grade A with five cricketers - Binod Bhandari, Md Arif Sheikh, Abinash Bohara, Kushal Bhurtel and Subash khakurel - failing to attract bids from the participating teams. As they were not picked up by any team in the first round of the players' draft, the five cricketers have been automatically included in Grade B.

According to the CAN, the second round of the players' draft will be held on Sunday.

The CAN has included 92 cricketers in three categories for the players' draft. A total of 12 players were listed in Grade A, while 33 cricketers were in Grade B before five unsold players from Grade A joined them.

Grade C consisted to 47 players.

The CAN has allotted Rs 1.5 million, one million rupees and Rs 500,000 each respectively for the A, B and C category players.

The inaugural edition of the NepalT20 is scheduled for September 24 to October 22 in Kathmandu.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 11, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.