Winning the Nepal Premier League in 2026 is worth Rs 1.5 crore — and the money story runs much deeper than the trophy. Here is the full prize breakdown, what the eight franchises cost, and how the auction money moved.
NPL Season 3 prize money totals Rs 3 crore: Rs 1.5 crore for the winners, Rs 80 lakh for the runners-up, Rs 40 lakh for third place and Rs 30 lakh for fourth. The eight franchises were bought for a combined NPR 16.89 crore, with Pokhara Avengers the costliest at NPR 3.57 crore.
Quick Facts
| Total prize purse, Season 3 | Rs 3 crore |
| Winner’s prize | Rs 1.5 crore |
| Franchises combined price | NPR 16.89 crore |
| Costliest franchise | Pokhara Avengers, NPR 3.57 crore |
| Most expensive auction buy | Aasif Sheikh, NPR 20 lakh (Lumbini Lions) |
NPL 2026 Prize Money: The Full Breakdown
Cricket Association of Nepal raised the stakes for Season 3 in a big way. The winning team takes home Rs 1.5 crore, the runners-up get Rs 80 lakh, third place earns Rs 40 lakh and fourth place takes Rs 30 lakh. Add it up and the total prize purse for the top four teams is Rs 3 crore.
Prize money jumped sharply from last season. Lumbini Lions won Season 2 and collected Rs 11 million; this season’s winners get Rs 15 million, a rise of Rs 4 million. The runners-up prize has climbed from Rs 5.1 million to Rs 8 million, third place from Rs 2.5 million to Rs 4 million, and fourth place from Rs 1.5 million to Rs 3 million. The total purse has grown from Rs 2.01 crore to Rs 3 crore in a single season.
Put the winner’s cheque next to the league’s other big bill and the scale of Season 3 becomes clear. Running the Decision Review System for the first time costs an estimated Rs 15 to Rs 20 million — roughly what the champions take home. That is the price of taking the league to the next level: better decisions on the field, and a bigger reward for winning it.
What the Eight Franchises Cost
Before a single ball was bowled in Season 1, the eight franchises were auctioned for a combined NPR 16.89 crore. Those prices still define the league’s ownership map, and the gap between the top and the bottom is wide.
Pokhara Avengers are the costliest franchise at NPR 3.57 crore, followed by Kathmandu Gorkhas at NPR 3.33 crore. Janakpur Bolts, the inaugural champions, were bought for NPR 2.05 crore, and defending champions Lumbini Lions for NPR 1.86 crore. Chitwan Rhinos cost NPR 1.76 crore, Sudurpaschim Royals NPR 1.688 crore, Biratnagar Kings NPR 1.51 crore, and Karnali Yaks, the least expensive franchise, NPR 1.12 crore.
Franchise prices tell their own story. Pokhara cost more than three times what Karnali did, yet Karnali have been one of the early pacesetters in Season 3. Franchise price buys the badge, not the points table. What it does buy is a place in a league whose commercial footprint keeps growing, with the third edition expected to generate economic activity of around Rs 1.5 billion from the tournament economy.
Auction Money: Where the NPR 244 Lakh Went
Season 3’s player auction took place in Kathmandu on 6 July 2026. A total of 155 domestic players were shortlisted from 347 registrations, split into Category A (5 players), Category B (27) and Category C (123). Franchises had already retained 52 players before auction day, and 37 players were sold in the live session itself, with the remaining domestic places filled from a wishlist of unsold players. In total, 53 shortlisted players found teams for a combined NPR 244.25 lakh.
Lumbini Lions were the biggest spenders, committing NPR 44 lakh and leaving just NPR 5.25 lakh in reserve. Janakpur Bolts spent NPR 41.25 lakh and kept the most money back, NPR 25 lakh. Biratnagar Kings spent NPR 37.25 lakh, Pokhara Avengers NPR 26.75 lakh, Sudurpaschim Royals NPR 26 lakh, Karnali Yaks NPR 26 lakh, Chitwan Rhinos NPR 26 lakh, and Kathmandu Gorkhas just NPR 17 lakh — exactly half their available purse.
Aasif Sheikh owned auction day. Released by Janakpur Bolts after serving as their marquee player in the first two seasons, the national wicketkeeper-batter drew bids from seven of the eight franchises before Lumbini Lions landed him through a lucky draw for NPR 20 lakh — double his base price and the highest bid of the auction. Four other Category A players reached the NPR 15 lakh cap: Arjun Gharti to Pokhara Avengers, Bibek Kumar Yadav to Chitwan Rhinos, Rupesh Kumar Singh to Biratnagar Kings and Trit Raj Das to Janakpur Bolts. A salary cap of NPR 9 million applies to each franchise’s 14 Nepali players, while overseas players are signed through direct contracts rather than the auction.
The Bigger Number: Rs 1.5 Billion Around the League
Prize money is only the most visible part of the money in the NPL. The league’s media and ticketing rights for Season 3 went to NetTV, Himalaya TV and eSewa in a deal worth Rs 33.53 crore — more than ten times the total prize money. That single deal explains why the purse could jump so sharply: the league is selling its product for far more than it pays out in prizes.
Commercial money from the tournament all feeds the same pool, and the third edition is expected to generate economic activity of around Rs 1.5 billion in total. For context, that figure is roughly fifty times the Rs 3 crore prize purse. The players see a fraction of the money the league generates, but the direction is clear: as the commercial pie grows, the prize money follows it upward.
For fans, the economics explain the product on the field. A bigger purse attracts better overseas players, pays for DRS, and keeps franchises investing in squads rather than cutting costs. Season 3 is the first edition where the money, the technology and the international recognition have all arrived together — and the Rs 1.5 crore winner’s cheque is the simplest proof of that.
FAQs
How much does the NPL 2026 winner get?
Rs 1.5 crore. The winners of NPL Season 3 take home Rs 15 million, up from Rs 11 million in Season 2.
What is the total prize money for NPL Season 3?
Rs 3 crore in total: Rs 1.5 crore for the winners, Rs 80 lakh for the runners-up, Rs 40 lakh for third place and Rs 30 lakh for fourth.
Which is the most expensive NPL franchise?
Pokhara Avengers, bought for NPR 3.57 crore. The eight franchises together cost NPR 16.89 crore, with Karnali Yaks the least expensive at NPR 1.12 crore.
Who was the most expensive buy in the NPL Season 3 auction?
Aasif Sheikh, signed by Lumbini Lions for NPR 20 lakh in the 6 July 2026 auction in Kathmandu — double his base price, after seven of the eight franchises pursued him.
