Player details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dev Khanal |
| Date of birth | 29 May 2005 |
| Country | Nepal |
| Playing role | Top-order batter |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Bowling style | Right-arm off-break |
| NPL team (Season 3) | Chitwan Rhinos |
| Joined | Retained — NPR 15 lakh (2025 auction) |
Season 3 numbers
Batting — Season 3
| Matches | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Highest | Strike rate | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 19 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 86.36 | 9.50 |
Bowling — Season 3
| Matches | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Average | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 8.00 | — | 0/16 |
Nineteen runs in two innings: 12 against Biratnagar in Match 2, 7 against the Royals in Match 11 — and two overs of off-break for 16 runs in the Royals game, his only bowling so far. The short-format Khanal is still emerging: three T20 internationals, 31 runs, and a Season 3 in which the numbers have not yet caught up with the reputation. Every Chitwan result is on the NPL Results page.
The 12 against Biratnagar was the better of the two knocks — a 15-ball stay at the top of the order in a game Chitwan won by 8 runs. The 7 against the Royals came in a chase that fell five wickets short. Neither innings was the statement his backers are waiting for, but both say the same thing: the top-order spot is his, and the runs are the next step.
The T20 translation
Khanal’s technique was built for the long game — 329 ODI runs and three fifties, a match-winning 76 against Canada, innings constructed on strike rotation and pacing. The T20 translation is the technical challenge of his season: the top-order T20 batter must score in the powerplay, where field restrictions reward boundary-hitting, and the 50-over tempo that serves him so well in ODIs has to compress into 20-over urgency.
That is a translation, not a rebuild. The hands, the timing and the temperament are all there — the 76 against Canada was a match-winning innings under pressure, not a flat-track fifty. The question is speed: can the ODI batter find the T20 gear without losing the judgement that makes him good?
From U19 captain to senior international
The arc from sixteen-year-old ODI debutant against Papua New Guinea in March 2022 to Nepal U19 captain at the 2024 World Cup is the steepest in the squad — and it explains the 15 lakh. Chitwan paid joint-highest 2025 money for a 21-year-old whose best cricket has come in 50-over internationals, then retained him before he had proved the T20 version.
Captaining Nepal’s under-19s to the Super Six at the 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup is the leadership credential that sits behind the price tag. The franchise is betting that the player who led a World Cup campaign at 19 will lead a T20 innings the same way — and Season 3 is the season the short-format Khanal has to arrive, because the franchise has now bet on him twice.
Where the season goes next
Chitwan are fourth after Match 21, with five points from five games and a net run rate of +0.009. The full table is on the NPL Points Table, and the remaining fixtures are on the NPL Schedule. Two league games are left: Janakpur Bolts on Friday 13 November and Karnali Yaks on Sunday 15 November. Win both and the Rhinos reach nine points — enough to guarantee a playoff place.
For Khanal, the run-in is two more chances to show the T20 version. A top-order fifty in either game would change the story of his season — and, with the playoff race this tight, it could change the story of Chitwan’s. Every Chitwan result is on the Nepal Premier League hub — follow it all on SialTV.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Dev Khanal?
Twenty-one — born on 29 May 2005. He made his ODI debut at sixteen, against Papua New Guinea in March 2022.
What is Dev Khanal’s ODI record?
Three hundred and twenty-nine runs and three fifties, including a match-winning 76 against Canada. He captained Nepal’s under-19s to the Super Six at the 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup.
How has Dev Khanal done in NPL Season 3?
Nineteen runs in two innings, with a highest score of 12, plus two overs of off-break for 16 runs in the Royals game. The T20 numbers have not yet matched his ODI record.