KATHMANDU: A social media comment by Jimmy Neesham, who delivered an outstanding performance in the ICC T20 World Cup final, has brought a new controversy related to the Nepal Premier League (NPL) franchise Pokhara Avengers into the spotlight.

In Sunday’s final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs. Despite the loss, Neesham bowled 4 overs for 46 runs, taking the wickets of Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav in a single over, briefly balancing the match. However, in the final over, Shivam Dube scored an aggressive unbeaten 26 off 8 balls, including 3 boundaries and 2 sixes, pushing India’s total to 255.

Praising Neesham’s performance, Pokhara posted a congratulatory message on social media, noting that he had played for the franchise in NPL Season 2. Neesham, who had previously helped Janakpur Bolts win the inaugural edition, played four matches for Pokhara in the second edition but could not make a significant impact. In four innings, he scored only 99 runs with a half-century and took 5 wickets for 103 runs in 10 overs. Pokhara ended the league stage with 3 wins and 4 losses, earning 6 points and failing to advance.

Despite this, Pokhara acknowledged Neesham’s World Cup performance, writing on Instagram:
“An outstanding over by Jimmy Neesham in the 16th over of the World Cup final. A wicket, two dot balls, one run, and then two more wickets. 3 wickets, 1 run, and 2 dots against India. A brilliant spell on the big stage. It is unfortunate that New Zealand finished as runners-up. We felt proud to see you representing Pokhara Avengers in NPL Season 2.”

Neesham responded to the post with a short but pointed comment: “Cool, pay your players,” sparking discussion in cricket circles about Pokhara’s alleged delay in paying players for the league that ended on December 13, 2025.

Following Neesham’s comment, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) expressed concern and requested clarification from Pokhara management.

Subodh Tripathi, a principal investor of Pokhara, said the club has no issue paying players, but administrative procedures caused delays. Initially, foreign player payments did not require approval from Nepal Rastra Bank, but Global IME Bank later stated that permission was necessary, complicating the process.

Tripathi added that Pokhara had to approach the National Sports Council (NSC) for clearance. However, other NPL-related issues prevented the NSC from advancing the process. Election-related office closures also contributed to the delay.

He assured that Jimmy Neesham and other players will receive their dues within two weeks, noting that the payment process is now in its final stage.

The incident has renewed focus on operational and administrative challenges in Nepal’s domestic cricket leagues, highlighting how procedural delays can affect even internationally recognized players.