KATHMANDU: At present, the sky over Kirtipur is cloudy. Neither sunlight has broken through, nor has rain managed to fall. In such weather, the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground appears bright and glowing. Any cricket enthusiast arriving at the ground would feel their heartbeat quicken with excitement. The reconstruction of the stadium, which began on March 3, is now nearing completion as of September 21.

NPL second edition to begin in two months

Just two months from now, the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) has been announced to start at this very ground. The question remains: will the stadium be ready on time? A parapet with seating for 10,000 spectators has already been constructed. Colorful chairs have been installed in some places, while in others the installation is in its final stage. However, the floodlight installation work is still pending.

Parapet construction completed, floodlights pending

Surendra Karna, project manager of the construction company BKOI–KCDC–BG Joint Venture (JV), said, “Our work included the civil construction of the parapet and the seating installation, which is now complete. We are preparing to hand it over after some finishing touches. The floodlight work, however, is still pending, and it does not fall under our scope.”

BKOI–KCDC–BG JV was contracted to build the parapet, while Bishan–Ishwari JV was tasked with installing the floodlights. Agreements were signed with the Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office under the Ministry of Urban Development at Sano Gaucharan on March 3 and 6, 2025.

The parapet construction was contracted for Rs 492.5 million, while the floodlight installation was agreed at Rs 473.7 million. BKOI–KCDC–BG JV began the parapet work on March 2, with a 60-day completion deadline.

However, even after working three shifts, the project was not finished on time. The deadline was extended to July 14. When the work still wasn’t completed, the company was fined over Rs 200,000 per day to push for completion.

Bikram Rai/Nepal News

10,000 spectator capacity ready

Karna said, “After an extension of two months and with 350 workers mobilized, we completed the work. We have already informed the government project managers. They will arrive in a day or two, and we will hand over the project.”

The eastern stand of the stadium accommodates 2,290 spectators, while the western side holds 7,710. Chairs in five colors—yellow, white, grey, green, blue, and orange—have been installed. Railings are fitted, and seating blocks are separated by these railings. Painting work is also nearly completed.

Karna added, “The Gen-Z protest, monsoon rains, and other factors affected the construction. Another issue was the delay in the arrival of chairs from India. Since Nepali workers are not accustomed to working at night, we had to pay compensation to the government.”

Remaining tasks include installing boundary fencing, placing large barricades behind the parapet, and paving the pathways. However, facilities like the scoreboard, media box, VIP, and VVIP sections were already in place and required no further work.

Floodlight installation facing delays

The biggest concern now is the floodlight installation. Bishan–Ishwari JV had completed the foundation for six floodlight poles by May 20. However, when the first three poles were being shipped from India, they were halted due to third-party inspections. The remaining three poles were still in production.

Nearly five months later, only equipment for two of the six poles has arrived, while the rest remain stuck en route. Project manager Saurabh Sah explained, “We were working with the goal of finishing as soon as possible. But due to the Gen Z protest, customs offices were closed, and some equipment got stuck.”

The company had planned to finish before Dashain and hand it over, but could not bring the equipment in time. The onset of monsoon rains further delayed the work.

When Nepal News visited the site on September 18, the ground was muddy and swampy, making it impossible to position a 110-ton crane to erect the poles. To fix this, dry soil and gravel were spread and compacted with rollers to build a foundation for the crane, which took time, Sah said.

He added, “We are now aiming to erect the poles ahead of schedule and continue working even during Dashain, so that the project will be completed by Tihar. But let’s see what the weather and circumstances bring.”

Bikram Rai/Nepal News

Currently, Bishan–Ishwari JV has deployed 30 workers at the site. Due to delays, the contractor has planned to work in both day and night shifts. Risky tasks like pole erection will be done in the daytime, while other work will continue at night.

At present, only equipment for two poles has arrived, while the rest are expected to arrive during the installation process. Sah claims that 65 percent of the work has been completed. Once the poles are erected and the lights installed, 95 percent of the work will be finished. The remaining five percent will involve testing the lights, which will take place after Tihar.
“It is not our intention to delay the work, but circumstances have caused setbacks. Nevertheless, the work will be finished before the NPL,” he said.

First-ever cricket match under floodlights in Nepal

Currently, Nepal only has floodlight facilities at Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar and the Extra Tech Oval Cricket Ground in Tilottama, Rupandehi.

Dasharath Stadium hosts only football matches, while no domestic or international matches have yet been held under the floodlights at Extra Tech Oval. If completed on time, the NPL will be the first cricket tournament in Nepal to be played under floodlights.

NPL will take place as scheduled: CAN

In the first edition of the NPL, Janakpur Bolts defeated Sudurpaschim Royals to win the title. Other participating teams included Karnali Yaks, Chitwan Rhinos, Biratnagar Kings, Kathmandu Gurkhas, Lumbini Lions, and Pokhara Avengers. The same eight franchises will participate in the second edition.

On August 11, Nepal held its first-ever ‘mini auction,’ where teams spent Rs 21.875 million to sign 36 players. Another 51 players were retained by the franchises prior to the auction.

With the domestic player pool now finalized, franchises only need to sign foreign players. As a result, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is determined to hold the tournament on schedule. CAN spokesperson Chhumbi Lama said the competition will not be postponed.

He stated, “Although the Gen Z protest has created an uncertain situation across the country, CAN believes that the NPL can bring people together. Discussions have already been held with all the franchises. As of today, we are confident the NPL will not be postponed.”

Bikram Rai/Nepal News

National team prepares for Unity Cup and World Cup qualifiers

While the remaining stadium work continues, the Nepali national team is preparing to return with good news. From September 27, the team will play the Unity Cup T20I series against the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The matches will be held at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on September 27, 29, and 30. Afterward, the team will head to Oman for the World Cup qualifiers.

The Asia-Pacific regional final, hosted at Al-Amerat Cricket Stadium, will include Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Kuwait, Malaysia, Japan, Qatar, and UAE.

These nine teams will be divided into three groups. Nepal is in Group B alongside Japan and Kuwait. The winner of each group will qualify for the Super Six stage. The top three teams in the Super Six will earn a place in the World Cup.

Nepal first played in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014, and it has taken nearly a decade to return to this stage. The team also participated in last year’s World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States and the West Indies.

This time, Nepal aims to qualify again and compete in the tournament to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year, while also returning home to play the NPL under floodlights for the first time.