NPL Foreign Players: Season 3 Confirmed List
The latest npl 2026 foreign players list features David Warner, Shakib Al Hasan, Jimmy Neesham and 20 other confirmed overseas names.
The latest npl 2026 foreign players list has reached 23 confirmed names across the eight NPL Season 3 franchises, following Janakpur Bolts' signing of former England all-rounder Moeen Ali. The biggest names include David Warner, Shakib Al Hasan, Jimmy Neesham, Sikandar Raza and Moeen Ali. Season 3 is scheduled to run from October 26 to November 21 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Which foreign players will play in NPL Season 3?
At least 23 overseas players have been publicly confirmed for Season 3 as of October 8. The list includes players from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, Sri Lanka, the United States and Zimbabwe. However, the ICC has yet to give its final sanction for the tournament, meaning further overseas announcements remain possible. CAN Secretary Paras Khadka said on October 8 that the required documents had been submitted and the association was waiting for the ICC's formal decision.
Biratnagar Kings
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka, batting all-rounder) and Jishan Alam (Bangladesh, batter) are the confirmed overseas names. Asalanka was officially announced on September 18 and brings international leadership experience as well as right-arm off-spin. He was leading Sri Lanka's T20I side against England at the time of his NPL announcement and has also scored five ODI centuries. Jishan's NPL move was reported by Bangladesh's Daily Sun on September 21, with the report saying he had secured the required clearance to join Biratnagar.
Chitwan Rhinos
Ravi Bopara (England, all-rounder), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe, all-rounder) and Kaleem Sana (Canada, left-arm fast bowler) form Chitwan's confirmed overseas group. Bopara is returning after previously playing for the Rhinos, while Raza was confirmed by the franchise in late August. Sana was announced by Chitwan through its official channels in September. Raza is the headline signing, having built an extensive T20 résumé across competitions including the IPL, PSL, CPL and ILT20.
Janakpur Bolts
Harmeet Singh (USA, bowling all-rounder), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand, all-rounder), Iftikhar Ahmed (Pakistan, all-rounder) and Moeen Ali (England, all-rounder) are confirmed. Harmeet was appointed captain in August, Neesham returned to the franchise after helping Janakpur win the inaugural NPL title, and Iftikhar was announced on September 24. Moeen became the fourth overseas signing on October 3, making Janakpur the first franchise to publicly reach four overseas recruits for Season 3. Neesham is particularly familiar to NPL supporters, having scored 247 runs and taken seven wickets for Janakpur in the 2024 title-winning campaign. Nepal Premier League
Karnali Yaks
Mark Watt (Scotland, all-rounder), Akbar Ali (Bangladesh, wicketkeeper-batter) and Ariful Islam (Bangladesh, batter) are the confirmed overseas players. Karnali's official website lists Watt and Akbar among its recent overseas moves, with Watt re-signing and Akbar joining for NPL 2026; Akbar's signing was also reported by Ratopati. Ariful was reported by CricFrenzy and Bangladesh's Daily Sun after an impressive Top End T20 campaign in Australia, where he scored 219 runs in seven matches for Bangladesh High Performance. Karnali Yaks
Kathmandu Gorkhas
David Warner (Australia, opening batter), K. S. Bharat (India, wicketkeeper-batter) and Sahan Arachchige (Sri Lanka, all-rounder) are confirmed. Warner was announced on September 15 as the Gorkhas' third foreign signing and is easily the biggest international name in NPL history. He finished his Australia career as the country's leading T20I run-scorer with 3,277 runs in 110 T20Is, while also winning the IPL title with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. Kathmandu Post Bharat was confirmed in August, while Sahan was announced on August 26. Sahan has already played in Nepal and brings experience from Sri Lanka's international and franchise cricket.
Lumbini Lions
Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia, fast bowler), Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka, wicketkeeper-batter) and D'Arcy Short (Australia, batting all-rounder) are on the defending champions' current Season 3 roster. Trumpelmann was re-signed in July after being named Player of the Tournament in Lumbini's 2025 title-winning campaign, when he took 15 wickets. Dickwella was retained in August after playing a major role in the Lions' title run. The franchise's current official squad also lists Short, Dickwella and Trumpelmann for the new season.
Pokhara Avengers
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh, all-rounder) and Dhananjaya Lakshan (Sri Lanka, all-rounder) are the two overseas players confirmed through franchise announcements and recent squad reporting. Shakib's signing was announced in July, while Lakshan was re-signed in August after contributing with both bat and ball during Season 2. Shakib is the headline attraction: the former Bangladesh captain has 2,551 T20I runs and 149 wickets in 129 T20Is.
Sudurpaschim Royals
Saif Zaib (England, batting all-rounder), Scott Kuggeleijn (New Zealand, bowling all-rounder) and Brandon McMullen (Scotland, all-rounder) are confirmed. Zaib returned as the Royals' first overseas signing after being named the best player of the inaugural NPL, when he scored 275 runs and took 12 wickets. Kuggeleijn has been one of the league's most consistent overseas bowlers, taking 17 wickets in Season 1 and another 10 in Season 2. McMullen was re-signed on September 26 as the team's third confirmed overseas player.
Biggest names to watch
David Warner is the biggest headline signing of Season 3. The former Australia opener scored 6,565 runs in 184 IPL matches and won the IPL Orange Cap three times, giving Kathmandu Gorkhas an internationally proven T20 match-winner. Kathmandu Post
Shakib Al Hasan gives Pokhara Avengers one of the most decorated all-rounders in T20 cricket. His international record includes 149 T20I wickets alongside more than 2,500 T20I runs.
Jimmy Neesham returns to Janakpur Bolts after playing a key role in their inaugural championship. His 247 runs at a strike rate above 196 in Season 1 remain one of the most memorable overseas performances in NPL history.
Moeen Ali adds another former World Cup winner to the competition. He was part of England's 2019 ODI World Cup-winning side and the 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad, and his left-handed batting and off-spin give Janakpur another two-way option. Ratopati
Sikandar Raza brings Zimbabwe's leading T20 experience to Chitwan Rhinos. He has played in several major franchise competitions, including the IPL, PSL, CPL and ILT20, and is capable of contributing with both batting and off-spin.
FAQHow many overseas players can a team sign and play?
The established NPL squad structure allows four overseas players in a franchise squad, with one required to be an Associate player. Teams have also been allowed to field four overseas players in the playing XI. The rule was documented ahead of the first NPL season and was again reflected during the second edition, when teams fielded four overseas players.
The four-player squad allowance explains why Janakpur Bolts' addition of Moeen Ali is significant: the franchise has now filled its publicly reported overseas quota with Harmeet Singh, Jimmy Neesham, Iftikhar Ahmed and Moeen. Other teams remain below four confirmed names and could add players if their recruitment and the required approvals are completed.
FAQAre more foreign players still to be announced?
Yes. The ICC sanction process remains the main reason the overseas list should not be treated as final. CAN has submitted documents requested by the ICC and is still waiting for formal approval as of October 8. Earlier, Paras Khadka said the sanction process was in its final stage and that teams would make further announcements after approval. The ICC sanction is also important because the NPL is seeking official classification as either a T20 or List A competition, which would affect how performances are recorded in players' official career statistics.
For now, 23 overseas signings can be identified from reliable reporting and franchise announcements for Season 3. Names from older NPL campaigns such as Faf du Plessis, Martin Guptill, Dawid Malan and Imran Tahir have not been included simply because they appeared in previous-season lists. The same caution applies to Bangladesh spinner Mohammad Rubel: although Bangladesh's Daily Sun reported on September 23 that Pokhara Avengers had signed him, he does not appear on the current Pokhara Avengers official squad page, so he has been excluded from the confirmed count pending stronger current confirmation.
The overseas group can still change before the October 26 opener because ICC sanction, player availability and late replacements remain unresolved. NPL Season 3 is scheduled to conclude with the final on November 21 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Last updated: October 8, 2026.