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The Ministry of Youth and Sports is preparing to form a high-level investigation committee to probe alleged financial irregularities during the first edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). This follows reports that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) failed to cooperate with the previously formed task force.
Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary confirmed the development, stating that despite multiple requests, CAN did not provide the necessary documents and records related to the league. “We had initially formed a task force after receiving a letter from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA),” said the Minister. “However, CAN has not submitted the required documents, making a thorough investigation of the first edition unavoidable.”
The government is now deliberating whether to form a new committee internally from the ministry or appoint a former judge as its coordinator. The final decision is expected within a few days.
While preparations for the second edition of the NPL are underway, Minister Chaudhary emphasized that all sports tournaments in the country must operate under legal and regulatory frameworks. He also clarified that he never tried to halt the NPL but criticized those opposing the investigation, labeling them as “anti-NPL.”
On CAN’s end, the NPL's financials were discussed during its recent central committee meeting. The NPL Governing Council presented the income and expenditure report from the first season. Although the financial report was presented, some central members demanded more details and time for review before approving it. As a result, the approval has been deferred to the next central committee meeting.
According to CAN, the inaugural season of the Nepal Premier League generated revenue of NPR 27.69 crore, with expenditures totaling around NPR 20 crore. Additionally, NPR 3 crore was distributed among the eight franchise teams, NPR 70 lakh was allocated to provincial cricket associations, and CAN claimed a profit of NPR 2.46 crore.
The inaugural season of NPL was held from Mangsir 15 to Poush 6, 2080 (December 1 to December 21, 2023). Two complaints alleging irregularities in the league were lodged with the CIAA, one before the tournament began and another two months after its conclusion.
The first complaint, filed on Mangsir 7, alleged that agreements were made in violation of legal tendering processes. The second complaint prompted the CIAA to write to the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Falgun 12, urging a deeper investigation.
In response, an initial probe committee was formed under National Sports Council (NSC) board member Anjan Dhamala. Later, on Jestha 11, another committee was constituted under NSC board member Ranjana Pradhan to investigate further.
This most recent task force issued a letter to CAN, asking for detailed responses to 10 questions related to the NPL. CAN replied on Ashar 2, but according to the committee, the response was vague and lacked the required documentation. The task force criticized CAN’s submission as being "surface-level answers driven by an intent to evade."
Last month, the task force again wrote to CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand, reiterating its dissatisfaction and submitting five new questions demanding more specific details.
As investigations continue, the spotlight remains firmly on CAN’s financial transparency and the governance of Nepal’s top-tier franchise cricket tournament.