KATHMANDU: Suddenly, Adil’s phone rang. His hands trembled. A wave of fear surged through him. It felt like he had forgotten how to breathe. His mind went blank.

For three long years, Mohammad Adil Ansari had waited for a call like this—news that might change everything. But every time, it ended in disappointment.

Then, in the second week of September, his phone rang again. Summoning his courage, he picked up. This time, the voice on the other end said,
“Congratulations. You’ve been selected for the senior team for the three-match series against the West Indies.”

He froze for a moment—then snapped his fingers in disbelief. His pulse began to steady. His eyes lit up. The dignity he had lost, the dreams that had been snatched away during his suspension—it all seemed to return in an instant.

Adil Ansari is only 21 years old. A promising finisher for Nepali cricket, he’s already tasted both glory and disgrace. Once accused of the serious offense of spot-fixing, he spent three years under a cloud of suspicion. Now, fully cleared of all charges, he’s back in the national fold.

When I met him last week during training at the Tribhuvan University ground in Kirtipur, Adil couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’m emotional to be back after three years,” he said, almost laughing through the disbelief. “I still can’t believe it’s real.”

One of the recurring issues plaguing the Nepali cricket team has been the lack of a reliable finisher. Now, with Adil Ansari’s return, there’s a renewed sense of optimism within the national squad.

Adil made his national debut on March 31, 2022, at just 19 years old, in a home T20I match against Papua New Guinea during a triangular series. In that very first match, he made an explosive impression—blasting 33 runs off just 11 balls, including one four and three sixes. It was a statement innings that showcased his potential as a hard-hitting lower-order batter.

Though his performance in the next two matches wasn’t as impactful, the 60 runs he tallied across three games—and more importantly, the manner in which he played—caught the eye of then-head coach Manoj Prabhakar.

Just a few months later, in June 2022, Adil earned his ODI cap in a match against the United States under the ICC World Cup League 2. By then, things seemed to be moving steadily. In total, he scored 110 runs in eight T20 innings and 70 runs in five ODI innings, contributing both at the domestic franchise level and in international fixtures.

Everything appeared to be falling into place for the young talent—until it suddenly wasn’t.

Adil made his national debut on March 31, 2022, at just 19 years old, in a home T20I match against Papua New Guinea during a triangular series.

Barely 10 months into what looked like a promising career, the lights went out, quite literally like a power outage.

During the inaugural Nepal T20 League organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), Adil—playing for Janakpur Royals—was accused of spot-fixing. Just two weeks after the league concluded, whispers turned into a formal investigation. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) moved swiftly.

In January 23, 2023, Adil was arrested. “It all felt like something out of a movie,” Adil recalls. “I was in Rajbiraj, playing cricket, when I was suddenly taken in. Yes, I was approached with an offer—but I rejected it. Still, under the rules, I should have reported it. Not doing so was my biggest mistake.”

At the time of his arrest, Adil was participating in the Munna Sah Memorial Inter-College Cricket Tournament at Public Bindeshwari Secondary School in Rajbiraj, Saptari. Wearing the Janaki Higher Secondary School jersey, he stood on the field with his bat, gloves, pads, and helmet—completely unaware of the storm about to hit.

Once, he would raise his bat in acknowledgment of cheers from the crowd. But now, he walked off the field with his head down and eyes averted. From celebrating boundaries to facing legal boundaries, Adil Ansari’s journey took a sharp, painful turn.

Following his arrest, the cricket field was replaced by courtroom corridors. The spotlight turned harsh, not celebratory, as the young cricketer—barely 21—faced questioning from both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Nepal Police.

“At that time, I had lost all hope of ever returning to cricket,” Adil said, recalling the lowest point in his life. But as they say, hope is a thing not easily killed.

Within a month, the Kathmandu District Court, under Judge Rajendra Kumar Shrestha, ordered Adil’s release on bail of Rs 300,000. It felt like a flicker of light in a pitch-black tunnel. For the first time since his arrest, Adil could fight his case from outside the prison walls.

Still, the journey was long. For 13 months, he made the rounds of court hearings, waiting for the verdict that would either end or revive his cricket career.

Finally, Judge Kamal Prasad Pokharel delivered the decision that changed everything: “The claim of spot-fixing presented by the CIB could not be substantiated with concrete evidence.” With those words, Adil was acquitted.

“It felt like I had hit a six at the boundary rope and been handed a lifeline,” he said. “In that moment, I felt that justice still existed.”

The allegations stemmed from a specific match in the Nepal T20 League, where Adil—playing for Janakpur Royals—bowled a no-ball against Kathmandu Knights in the 12th match of the tournament. The delivery, followed by a free hit bowled suspiciously wide off the off-stump, raised eyebrows. He conceded 15 runs in that over.

Similar patterns were observed in at least two other matches. Based on this, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) launched its probe. They also implicated Mahbub Alam, a former national team player with 17 years of experience, accusing him of suggesting Adil bowl in a pre-planned way.

“At that time, I had lost all hope of ever returning to cricket,” Adil said, recalling the lowest point in his life. But as they say, hope is a thing not easily killed.

But due to a lack of conclusive evidence, the court acquitted both.

Despite the verdict, uncertainty still loomed. Though free in the eyes of the law, Adil was still under suspension by both CAN and the ICC. His fate on the cricket field remained undecided.

Finally, seeking an alternative, he turned his steps toward Bihar, India. There were no major tournaments like in Nepal, but even playing in tennis ball tournaments gave him a chance to revive himself. In these competitions, where players from all over India participated, there were often three matches a day—and he played every one of them with the same passion. He never used fatigue as an excuse. Alongside this, he consistently practiced with a leather ball as well.

During the day, he’d sweat it out in matches; at night, he’d continue sharpening his skills—bowling and batting in the dark.

Reflecting on those difficult days, he says, “If I hadn’t gone there and played, I probably wouldn’t be in cricket now.”

He had already faded away from Nepal’s cricket scene. But social media never let him remain forgotten. He kept posting videos of towering sixes he hit in Bihar and scorecards of centuries made in just 30–32 balls. Even when he didn’t post, his supporters would. These posts kept the hope alive among his fans.

Many of them started tagging CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal) Secretary Paras Khadka in their statuses, accusing the board of taking too long to lift his ban. Meanwhile, Adil became a talking point in every match Nepal lost. Almost everyone said, “If Adil had been there, Nepal would’ve won this.”

He admits, “Those comments and statuses made me emotional. I played across every district in Bihar. Even though I couldn’t play on home soil, people still loved me as an international player. I couldn’t return to the Nepali team, but the love and belief of my supporters gave me strength.”

And then, amid his unwavering determination, on May 4, 2025, CAN’s Integrity Committee submitted its report, and his ban was officially lifted.

Since the start of the case, he hadn’t once visited the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. But immediately after the ban was revoked, he was selected for the ‘A’ team to play against Assam.

As he walked toward the now-unfamiliar stadium after a long hiatus, many thoughts clouded his mind.

“When I entered TU ground again, all the old memories came flooding back. Tears were coming too,” he recalls. “But in that moment, I had to remind myself—it’s time to turn these tears into hope.” And he did just that.

“It felt like I had hit a six at the boundary rope and been handed a lifeline,” he said. “In that moment, I felt that justice still existed.”

In four innings of the five-match friendly T20 series against Assam, he scored 85 runs and also took three wickets. That performance reopened the door to the senior national team.

Aiming for a U-turn

As Nepal prepares for the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Oman, the national team will first play a historic three-match Test series against West Indies ‘A’ in the UAE. The series, to be held at Sharjah International Stadium on September 27, 29, and 30, is something Adil sees as a potential U-turn in his career.

The current Nepali squad lacks a dependable ‘finisher’. The hard-hitting form he showed for the ‘A’ team against Assam has rekindled hope in Adil’s ability to fill that role.

“From the beginning, I knew exactly what my role would be if I returned to the team. I played accordingly in Assam,” he says.

Senior players like Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulshan Kumar Jha currently occupy the finisher role in the national side. Dipendra is ranked 4th among T20 all-rounders in the ICC rankings. Gulshan, with the ability to contribute under pressure with both bat and ball, has become a match-winner in recent games.

In this context, Adil’s exact role—especially as a potential third pacer—is yet to be clearly defined. But he is ready.

“I’ll play in whatever role the team needs. I’ve fully prepared myself for that scenario.” His self-belief remains unshaken.

Now, all eyes are on him. How will Adil, returning to the senior team after three years, perform?

For now, that question remains a source of great curiosity—and cautious optimism—for fans and selectors alike.