In 2022, the
Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) organised the
Nepal T20 League after signing a
रु. 330 million agreement with the Indian sports management company Seven3Sports to host a professional
Twenty20 league tournament in Nepal for one year. However, the league was marred by several controversies and allegations, including
match-fixing and
corruption. The match between Kathmandu Knights and Biratnagar Super Kings on 3 January 2023 was delayed by two hours after players refused to take the field due to unpaid salaries. Players had been contracted to receive 40% of their payments before the start of the tournament and the remaining 60% during the event. Only players from Pokhara Avengers and Lumbini All Stars had received 50% of their contracted amount, while others had received nothing. The game resumed after CAN officials assured the players that their payments would be processed. On 4 January 2023, the captain of Kathmandu Knights, Gyanendra Malla, revealed that one of his teammates had been approached with a match‑fixing proposal and that the matter had been reported to the tournament's Anti‑Corruption Unit. The incident was reported to the
International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit, which subsequently dispatched a team to Nepal to investigate the allegations. The
Central Investigation Bureau also formed specialized teams to look into the claims. The Bureau's preliminary investigation revealed that three Nepali and four foreign players were under surveillance for suspected
spot-fixing. Evidence also suggested that
Seven3Sports, the event's management company, was involved in the wrongdoing. As a result, the league was ultimately shut down.
Foundation of the Nepal Premier League Following the shutdown of the
Nepal T20 League and the
Nepal national cricket team's qualification for the
2024 Men's T20 World Cup, the CAN announced the launch of the Nepal Premier League in January 2024, scheduled for November and December. On 2 August 2024, CAN invited proposals for franchise ownership, later confirming that the 2024 Nepal Premier League would feature eight teams, each representing a major city in Nepal. This marked an expansion from previous competitions such as
Everest Premier League and
Nepal T20 League, which featured only six teams. To determine team ownership, CAN held a franchise auction on 5 September 2024. All eight teams were sold through a bidding process for a combined total of
रु. 1,68,89,32,310. The franchise representing
Pokhara fetched the highest price at
रु. 35,700,000, bought by Nepal T20 Cricket Pvt. Ltd. It was followed by the
Kathmandu franchise, sold for
रु. 33,333,339 to
Kantipur Publications. The team representing
Karnali received the lowest successful bid of
रु. 11,170,000 from Himalayan Builders. ==Organization==