Sudurpashchim Royals signs deal with Nepal Airlines, Kuggeleijn & Zaib arrive

KATHMANDU: Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) team Sudurpashchim Royals has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Nepal Airlines Corporation.

The agreement was signed during a special event, with Royals’ CEO Prakash Khadka and Nepal Airlines’ Corporate Department Director Anil Ghimire representing their respective organizations.

Speaking after the agreement, Director Ghimire expressed his happiness about partnering with Sudurpashchim Royals. “It is wonderful news to have NPL in Nepal. We are thrilled to partner with a great team like Sudurpashchim. We hope for the continued development of the game with the success of NPL. We wish them the best of luck in winning the title with an excellent performance,” said Ghimire.

Royals’ CEO Khadka also expressed his delight at the partnership with Nepal Airlines, a shared brand of the Nepali people. He expressed confidence that the investment made by the organization in Nepali cricket would yield positive results.

Sudurpashchim Royals has previously secured various partnerships, including education partner SPA, medical partner Maya Metro Hospital, telecom partner Nepal Telecom, strength partner Surya Ply, and career partner Kumari Job.

The team has also signed an agreement with Marriott Kathmandu for accommodation during the NPL.

Foreign Players Kugelein and Zeb Arrive in Nepal

Similarly, Scott Kuggeleijn of New Zealand and Saif Ali Zaib of England have arrived in Nepal to play in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) for Sudurpashchim Royals.

The two players arrived in Nepal on Wednesday and were welcomed at the airport by the team’s manager, Ravi Timilsina.

Scott Kuggeleijn, who has played in all three formats for New Zealand—Test, ODI, and T20I—last played a Test match against Australia in March of this year. His arrival is expected to strengthen the Royals’ bowling attack. The team believes his presence will benefit not only the Royals but also Nepali cricket as a whole.

Kuggeleijn, a pace bowler, is also known for his ability to hit big shots lower down the order. He brings extensive experience from playing in top-tier franchise leagues around the world. He has been playing first-class cricket since 2011.

In T20 cricket, Kuggeleijn has taken 168 wickets at an average of 26, and with the bat, he has scored 1,022 runs at a strike rate of 134. In first-class cricket, he averages 27, with 4 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name.

A 26-year-old left-arm all-rounder Saif Ali Zaib has vast experience in county cricket. Last month, he played for Northamptonshire in England’s domestic T20 competition and has also been a regular in the county’s second division.

Zaib made his first-class debut in 2015 at the age of 16 and has also played age-group cricket for England. In T20 cricket, he has scored over 1,200 runs at a strike rate of over 140 and has also taken 12 wickets at an average of 33 with his part-time bowling.

The NPL, organized by CAN, will be held from Nov 30 to Dec 21 with participation from 8 teams.

Sudurpashchim Royals’ marquee player is record-breaking all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee.

The team also has Australian Brad Hodge as a mentor and former national team coach Jagat Tamata as the head coach.

The team includes:

Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Abhinash Bohora, Binod Bhandari, Arjun Kumal, Khadka Bohara, Ishan Pandey, Naresh Budhaair, Bhojraj Bhatta, Naren Saud, Amit Shrestha, Basanta Khatri, Brandon McMullen (Scotland), Saf Ali Jeb (England), Scott Kuggeleijn (New Zealand), and Rohan Mustafa (UAE).