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Mohammad Adil Alam Becomes the Talk of NPL 2025 Auction as All Eight Teams Show Interest
The Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 auction had its share of drama and surprises, but no player made a bigger splash than Mohammad Adil Alam. Returning to professional cricket after more than two years, Alam was the only cricketer among 164 in the auction pool who managed to attract bids from all eight franchises.
The high-stakes bidding took place on Saturday, August 9, at the Royal Tulip Kathmandu in Gwarko, Lalitpur, with national team head coach Stuart Law in attendance.
Alam’s Dramatic Return to the Spotlight
Alam, also known as Aadil Ansari, had been away from the game since January 2023. His last professional match came for Janakpur Royals in the now-defunct Nepal T20 League. He debuted for Nepal in T20Is in March 2022 and in ODIs in June 2022, featuring in six ODIs and eight T20Is before his career took an unexpected turn.
In January 2023, Alam was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on allegations of spot-fixing. However, after more than a year of legal battles, the Kathmandu District Court acquitted him in March 2024. Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting his comeback — and the NPL auction proved just how high his stock remains.
The Lucky Draw That Decided His Fate
For Category A players, the maximum auction price was set at Rs 1.5 million. Alam’s bidding quickly reached that ceiling, triggering the special rule — a lucky draw among all interested teams. Auctioneer Durga Nath Subedi, an ICC umpire and veteran sports journalist, added suspense by delaying the reveal.
When the dice finally rolled in favour of the Kathmandu Gorkhas, the team’s table erupted. Alam became the fifth player in their squad and the only Category A signing for the franchise this year.
Gorkhas’ Auction Moves
Alongside Alam, Kathmandu Gorkhas picked up:
- Santosh Yadav (Category B – Rs 1 million)
- Aakash Tripathi (Category B – Rs 700,000)
- Uttam Thapa Magar (Category C – Rs 300,000)
- Tul Bahadur Thapa (Category C – Rs 200,000)
In total, the Gorkhas spent Rs 3.7 million, making Alam their headline signing.
Who Spent Big at the Auction?
- Chitwan Rhinos topped the spending charts with Rs 3.9 million, including Category A stars Dev Khanal and Arjun Saud.
- Lumbini Lions followed closely, shelling out Rs 3.2 million for five players, including Dilip Nath and Shre Malla at maximum price.
- Sudurpaschim Royals and Biratnagar Kings each signed five players, with the Royals spending Rs 2.4 million and the Kings Rs 2.7 million.
- Janakpur Bolts, Karnali Yaks, and Pokhara Avengers were more conservative, each adding four players.
Eyes on the Foreign Signings
With domestic rosters finalised, franchises will now turn their attention to signing overseas talent. Each team can recruit up to six foreign players, but only four can be in the playing XI at once.
The second season of the NPL is set for November–December 2025, with the Cricket Association of Nepal aiming to host matches under floodlights at the renovated TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur — a first for Nepali cricket.
