Nepali players take the lead in NPL’s Player of the Match awards

One of the most striking features of the opening six matches of the Nepal Premier League’s third season has been that every Player of the Match award has gone to a Nepali player.

That was not the case in the first two seasons, when overseas players dominated the individual awards in the opening games. Last season, Nepali players were largely overshadowed for a spell.

Cricket analysts see the growing influence of Nepali players as a positive sign. Among those who have stood out this season so far are Sher Malla of Lumbini Lions, Kamal Singh Airee of Chitwan Rhinos, Unish Singh Thakuri and Sompal Kami of Karnali Yaks, Dipendra Singh Airee of Sudurpaschim Royals and Rahul Yadav of Janakpur Bolts. Kami’s performance in Karnali’s win over Biratnagar Kings was particularly impressive.

But across the league’s short history, have Nepali or overseas players won more Player of the Match awards?

As of Thursday, Nepali players had the edge in the 70 matches that had produced results, winning the award 38 times against 32 for overseas players.

The first two seasons, which featured a combined 64 matches, ended with an exactly even split: 32 awards each for Nepali and overseas players. The six consecutive awards won by Nepali players at the start of this season have given them the overall lead.

The split is also even in the eight playoff matches played so far, with Nepali and overseas players winning four awards each. Overseas players, however, have claimed the award in both finals.

In the inaugural season, Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Milantha, playing for Janakpur Bolts, and Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann, representing Lumbini Lions, won the Player of the Match awards in the two finals.

Which team has won the most awards? Sudurpaschim Royals lead by a clear margin. The two-time runners-up have claimed the honour 15 times.

Captain Dipendra Singh Airee has won four of those awards. More notably, he is the only player to have been named Player of the Match at least once in all three seasons. Vinod Bhandari has won the award three times.

Janakpur Bolts, Kathmandu Gorkhas and Karnali Yaks come next, with nine awards each. Biratnagar Kings and Lumbini Lions have won it eight times apiece, followed by Chitwan Rhinos with seven.

Pokhara Avengers are at the bottom of the list, with five awards. All five have gone to overseas players. The team is also the only one yet to reach the playoffs, and not a single Nepali player representing Pokhara has won the award.

That may partly explain why Pokhara failed to progress beyond the league stage in the first two seasons: its domestic players were unable to produce match-winning performances.

Among overseas players, Karnali’s Will Bosisto has won the award four times.

The Player of the Match honour carries considerable weight in cricket, recognising performances that shape the outcome of a game and add to the competition’s excitement. Seeing Nepali players claim an even larger share of the awards would be an encouraging sign for the league.