NPL 2026 auction analysis: 52 retentions, 37 buys and one Rs 2 million lucky draw
Most teams kept their cores together, so the July auction was about filling gaps. What the retentions and the bidding tell us about Season 3.
The third Nepal Premier League player auction, held in Kathmandu on 6 July, was a smaller affair than the first. That was by design: most franchises had already decided on their core players weeks earlier.
Retentions shaped everything
Before the auction, the eight teams retained 52 players between them. Five sides kept seven players each: Chitwan Rhinos, Karnali Yaks, Pokhara Avengers, Sudurpaschim Royals and Lumbini Lions. Kathmandu Gorkhas and Biratnagar Kings kept six. Janakpur Bolts kept only five.
That tells its own story. The teams that kept seven were mostly happy with their squads, including the two finalists from last season. Janakpur, who finished last in 2025, chose to change the most.
A small pool, few buys
The auction pool had 155 domestic players, and only 37 were sold. With so many places already filled, teams were bidding to fill specific gaps rather than build squads from scratch, as they had in the first season.
The Aasif Sheikh moment
The one player everyone wanted was Aasif Sheikh. Released by Janakpur, where he had been the marquee player, the national team opener and wicketkeeper was the only player in the pool with a base price of Rs 1.5 million. Bidding quickly reached the Rs 2 million ceiling. Because several teams were willing to pay the maximum, the tie was settled by a lucky draw, which defending champions Lumbini Lions won. Chitwan Rhinos were the only team that did not bid for him.
For Lumbini it is a significant upgrade. Sheikh joins captain Rohit Paudel at the top of the order, and as a wicketkeeper he also gives the champions options alongside Niroshan Dickwella.
What it means for Season 3
The biggest differences between teams this year will come from overseas signings rather than the auction. With domestic squads mostly settled, franchises have spent the months since July chasing international names: David Warner at Kathmandu, Shakib Al Hasan at Pokhara and Moeen Ali at Janakpur.
On paper, the teams that kept their cores, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim in particular, start with an advantage in familiarity. The teams that rebuilt, Janakpur above all, will need their new players to settle quickly. In a 28-match league where each side plays only seven games, there is little time to find a winning combination.
