NPL 2026 Foreign Players List: All 8 Teams
The NPL 2026 foreign players list is here: 39 confirmed overseas stars across all 8 teams, from Warner and Russell to Shakib, as of 25 October 2026.
The NPL 2026 foreign players list stands at 39 confirmed overseas players across all eight franchises as of 25 October 2026, with two more Pakistan signings reported but not yet cleared. David Warner, Andre Russell, David Miller, Shakib Al Hasan and Moeen Ali lead the group. Season 3 opens on 26 October with Lumbini Lions against Sudurpaschim Royals at 5:00 PM Nepal time, and the NPL Season 3 schedule puts all 32 matches at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, ending on 21 November.
FAQHow many foreign players can each NPL team have in 2026?
Under the NPL 2026 overseas players rule, each franchise may register up to eight overseas players, up from four to six in the first two seasons, with four allowed in the XI beside seven Nepali players, the Kathmandu Post reported on 25 October. Radio Nepal's report of the Cricket Association of Nepal briefing put the squad range at six to eight. The ICC has sanctioned the league, so runs and wickets now count towards official career records. Every overseas player, retired internationals included, needs a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the home board, and anyone who played in an unsanctioned tournament in the previous six months is ineligible.
NPL 2026 foreign players list at a glance
Biratnagar Kings: Andre Russell (West Indies, all-rounder), Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka, middle-order batter), Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka, all-rounder), Shubham Ranjane (USA, all-rounder) and Shehan Jayasuriya (USA, batter).
Chitwan Rhinos: Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe, all-rounder), Ravi Bopara (England, batting all-rounder), Usama Mir (Pakistan, leg-spinner) and Kaleem Sana (Canada, left-arm fast bowler). Hasan Ali (Pakistan, fast bowler) is reported.
Janakpur Bolts: Moeen Ali (England, all-rounder), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand, all-rounder), Iftikhar Ahmed (Pakistan, all-rounder), Harmeet Singh (USA, spin all-rounder and captain) and Hunain Shah (Pakistan, fast bowler).
Karnali Yaks: David Miller (South Africa, middle-order batter), Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan, top-order batter), Hussain Talat (Pakistan, all-rounder), Mark Watt (Scotland, all-rounder), Akbar Ali (Bangladesh, wicketkeeper-batter) and Ariful Islam (Bangladesh, batter).
Kathmandu Gorkhas: David Warner (Australia, opening batter), K. S. Bharat (India, wicketkeeper-batter), Sahan Arachchige (Sri Lanka, batting all-rounder) and Will Bosisto (Australia, all-rounder).
Lumbini Lions: Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka, wicketkeeper-batter), D'Arcy Short (Australia, opening batter), Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia, pace bowler), Shamim Hossain (Bangladesh, batting all-rounder) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA, all-rounder).
Pokhara Avengers: Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh, all-rounder), Mahedi Hasan (Bangladesh, all-rounder), Mohammad Saifuddin (Bangladesh, bowling all-rounder), Dhananjaya Lakshan (Sri Lanka, all-rounder) and Chamika Karunaratne (Sri Lanka, pace-bowling all-rounder).
Sudurpaschim Royals: Scott Kuggeleijn (New Zealand, pace bowler), Saif Zaib (England, all-rounder), Brandon McMullen (Scotland, batting all-rounder), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies, middle-order batter) and Fabian Allen (West Indies, all-rounder). Haider Ali (Pakistan) is reported.
Biratnagar Kings overseas players
Biratnagar Kings have five overseas players. Andre Russell, announced on 18 October, is the headline signing, joined by Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews and the Americans Shubham Ranjane and Shehan Jayasuriya. Russell, Asalanka and Mathews are new; Ranjane is back for a third straight season, and Jayasuriya played for the Kings in Season 2. In my view the group is built on power and experience: Russell's hitting and pace are the biggest swing factor, and Mathews adds a calm head in the middle order.
Chitwan Rhinos overseas players
Chitwan Rhinos have four confirmed overseas players, and OnlineKhabar reported on 23 October that the franchise was looking for two more. Ravi Bopara is retained for a third season after scoring 286 runs in the first edition and 237 in the second. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza is the headline name and could open the batting. Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir and Canada's Kaleem Sana are new. Hasan Ali, a Pakistan fast bowler, is reported as a late addition, with clearance pending. In my view Mir, Sana and Hasan Ali give the Rhinos a strong pace-and-spin attack.
Janakpur Bolts overseas players
Janakpur Bolts have five overseas players: Moeen Ali, Jimmy Neesham, Iftikhar Ahmed, captain Harmeet Singh and Pakistan fast bowler Hunain Shah. Neesham returns after helping the Bolts win the 2024 title, and Harmeet arrives from Sudurpaschim Royals, where he played the previous two seasons. Moeen, Iftikhar and Hunain are new. Hunain, announced on 24 October, fills the gap OnlineKhabar noted a day earlier: no frontline fast bowler. Moeen Ali at Janakpur Bolts pairs with Harmeet to give the Bolts two spin options, in my view the best-balanced part of the group.
Karnali Yaks overseas players
Karnali Yaks are the only side with six confirmed overseas players. David Miller, announced on 23 October as the sixth, joins Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan and Hussain Talat, Bangladesh's Akbar Ali and Ariful Islam, and Scotland's Mark Watt. Watt is retained after scoring 114 off 44 balls in Season 2, and Talat also played for the Yaks in the first season. Miller, Farhan, Akbar and Ariful are new. David Miller at Karnali Yaks, with Farhan at the top of the order, gives the franchise a clear batting spine, in my view.
Kathmandu Gorkhas overseas players
Four overseas players make up the Kathmandu Gorkhas squad, the joint-smallest confirmed group alongside Chitwan. David Warner, announced on 15 September, is the headline signing, with India's K. S. Bharat and Sri Lanka's Sahan Arachchige. Australian all-rounder Will Bosisto, who played for Karnali in the first two seasons, is confirmed by OnlineKhabar and Nepal News. Warner, Bharat and Arachchige are new. OnlineKhabar says none of the Gorkhas' Season 2 overseas players has returned and pace bowling is a worry; Bosisto and Arachchige at least add spin options.
Lumbini Lions overseas players
Lumbini Lions retained three overseas players from the title-winning side: Niroshan Dickwella, D'Arcy Short and Ruben Trumpelmann. Shadley van Schalkwyk, signed on 22 October after a 13-wicket haul at the T20 World Cup, and Shamim Hossain, announced on 23 October, are new. OnlineKhabar's 25 October preview says the Lumbini Lions squad could still add a finisher or an all-rounder. With Short expected to open and Trumpelmann leading the pace attack, the champions have a settled overseas core, in my view.
Pokhara Avengers overseas players
Pokhara Avengers have five overseas players, drawn from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Shakib Al Hasan, who has landed in Kathmandu according to Ratopati on 25 October and is said to be available for the whole tournament, leads a Bangladeshi trio with Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin. Dhananjaya Lakshan is retained, while Chamika Karunaratne is new. OnlineKhabar reported on 24 October that more overseas places were still open. The Pokhara Avengers squad leans heavily on all-rounders, which should give head coach Ajantha Mendis plenty of selection options, in my view.
Sudurpaschim Royals overseas players
Sudurpaschim Royals have five confirmed overseas players: Scott Kuggeleijn, Saif Zaib, Brandon McMullen, Sherfane Rutherford and Fabian Allen. Kuggeleijn is back for a third straight season, McMullen returns after playing the first two, and Zaib, named best player of the inaugural edition, returns from a season with Chitwan. Rutherford, announced on 24 October, and Allen, announced on 25 October, are new. Haider Ali of Pakistan is reported for the Sudurpaschim Royals squad, with clearance pending. The two West Indians add middle- and lower-order power, which suits a Royals side that has finished runners-up twice.
Which countries have the most players in NPL 2026?
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lead the confirmed list with six players each. Pakistan has five, and would have seven if Hasan Ali and Haider Ali are confirmed. The United States has four, including Shehan Jayasuriya, whom the Kathmandu Post describes as Sri Lankan-American. England, West Indies and Australia have three each, New Zealand and Scotland two each, and South Africa, India, Zimbabwe, Canada and Namibia one each, as of 25 October 2026.
The biggest overseas stars to watch
Here are eight NPL Season 3 overseas stars, with figures as of 25 October 2026.
David Warner (Kathmandu Gorkhas): a key member of Australia's 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup winning teams.
Shakib Al Hasan (Pokhara Avengers): 7,884 runs and 521 wickets in 483 T20 matches, according to the Kathmandu Post.
Andre Russell (Biratnagar Kings): 9,933 runs and 539 wickets in 611 T20 matches, and a two-time T20 World Cup winner with West Indies.
David Miller (Karnali Yaks): 584 T20 matches and more than 12,000 runs, per the Kathmandu Post.
Sahibzada Farhan (Karnali Yaks): the leading scorer at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup with 383 runs, including two centuries.
Moeen Ali (Janakpur Bolts): a two-time World Cup winner with England and a two-time IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings.
Angelo Mathews (Biratnagar Kings): the former Sri Lanka captain has 8,214 Test runs, 5,916 ODI runs and 1,416 T20I runs, per ESPNcricinfo.
Sikandar Raza (Chitwan Rhinos): Zimbabwe's captain, with IPL, PSL and CPL experience, per OnlineKhabar.
What is new since the first foreign players list?
Announcements dated after 8 October, when our earlier foreign players list went live, include the following. Biratnagar Kings: Andre Russell (18 October) and Angelo Mathews (22 October). Janakpur Bolts: Hunain Shah (24 October). Karnali Yaks: Hussain Talat (22 October) and David Miller (23 October). Lumbini Lions: Shadley van Schalkwyk (22 October) and Shamim Hossain (23 October). Pokhara Avengers: Mahedi Hasan (21 October). Sudurpaschim Royals: Sherfane Rutherford (24 October) and Fabian Allen (25 October). Hasan Ali and Haider Ali are reported additions. The main rule change is the ICC sanction, which raised the squad limit from six to eight overseas players.
Which team has the strongest overseas group?
This is editorial opinion. In my view Karnali Yaks have the strongest overseas group on paper: Sahibzada Farhan at the top, David Miller in the middle order and Mark Watt's spin, with Hussain Talat, Akbar Ali and Ariful Islam as depth. Biratnagar Kings, with Andre Russell and Angelo Mathews, and Pokhara Avengers, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan, come next. The caveat is that a team can play only four overseas players in the XI, and Karnali's Pakistan signings still need clearance.
Are more overseas players still to join?
Possibly. Chitwan Rhinos said they were looking for two more overseas players on 23 October, and OnlineKhabar's previews also left room for additions at Pokhara and Lumbini. Only Karnali Yaks have six confirmed names, against a reported range of six to eight. Clearance is the bigger question: Cricinfo reported on 25 October that Pakistan's seven NPL players, including Sahibzada Farhan and Hussain Talat, did not yet have No Objection Certificates, and that earlier permissions were on hold while talks continued. Andre Russell and Shakib Al Hasan have already landed in Kathmandu, according to Ratopati.
Quick answers about NPL 2026 foreign players
FAQWho is the biggest foreign player in NPL 2026?
In my view David Warner is the biggest name, with Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan and David Miller close behind.
FAQWhich team has the most overseas players?
Karnali Yaks, with six confirmed. Five other teams have five each.
FAQHow many foreign players can play in an NPL XI?
Four, alongside seven Nepali players.
FAQIs David Warner playing in NPL 2026?
Yes. Kathmandu Gorkhas announced him on 15 September, and he is on the confirmed list.
FAQWhen does NPL 2026 start?
On 26 October at TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with the final on 21 November.
Squads and clearances can change before and during the tournament, so check back for updates. Last updated: 25 October 2026, 8:00 PM NPT.
This article is independent editorial content. NPL Hub Nepal is not affiliated with the Nepal Premier League or the Cricket Association of Nepal.