The utility player who keeps delivering
Dev Shah's profile is a blank in the public record — no batting hand, no bowling style, no listed role. What he has instead is a record: two matches bowled, two wickets taken. In a squad built around three overseas stars and six retained domestic players, the unlisted signing who does a bit of everything is easy to overlook. Shah has made himself hard to overlook.
His first outing came against Karnali Yaks on 2 November, in the highest-scoring match of Kathmandu's season: 1 for 28 in three overs, as the Gorkhas chased 181 to win by four wickets. His second came against Biratnagar Kings on 5 November: 1 for 15 in two overs, in a match Kathmandu won by nine wickets after bowling Biratnagar out for 83. Two different games, two different jobs — and a wicket in each.
He has not batted in the season. Kathmandu's batting has rarely needed its lower order: the top order has done the work, and in the Biratnagar match only three batters were needed at all. Shah's value so far is entirely with the ball, and entirely in the margins — the overs that hold a total together while the strike bowlers rest.
Dev Shah's NPL 2026 bowling numbers
Two matches, five overs, 43 runs, two wickets. The table below is current through Match 20 — Shah bowled in Matches 10 and 15, and has not bowled since.
| Matches | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Average | Best | Maidens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5.0 | 43 | 2 | 8.60 | 21.50 | 1/15 | 0 |
The economy rate of 8.60 is the softest part of the record — it is higher than Shahab Alam's 5.33 or Santosh Yadav's 5.83 — but it comes with a caveat. Shah's three overs against Karnali came in a match where 361 runs were scored, and his 1 for 28 was bowled at a side chasing a big total. Against Biratnagar, in a low-scoring game, he went at 7.50 an over and took a wicket. Two matches is a small sample, and the captain has used him in short spells rather than full four-over sets.
What stands out is the strike rate: a wicket every 15 balls. Only Sahan Arachchige, with a wicket every 7.8 balls, and Santosh Yadav, with one every 12, have taken wickets faster for Kathmandu this season. Shah does not bowl the hard overs — Karan KC takes the new ball and the death — but he has taken a wicket every time he has been asked.
Both outings — Karnali, then Biratnagar
Match 10, 2 November, vs Karnali Yaks — 1 for 28 in 3 overs. Kathmandu's highest-scoring game of the season. Karnali made 180 for 6, and Shah's three overs cost 28 with one wicket. The Gorkhas chased it down — 181 for 6 in 19.4 overs — with Rashid Khan's 50 and Karan KC's 44, to win by four wickets. Match 15, 5 November, vs Biratnagar Kings — 1 for 15 in 2 overs. A different kind of match entirely. Biratnagar were bowled out for 83 in 18.3 overs, and Shah's two overs were part of the squeeze: 15 runs, one wicket, and a chase that lasted 9.4 overs. Kathmandu won by nine wickets, with David Warner unbeaten on 44.Since then, Shah has not bowled — in the Lumbini and Chitwan wins, the captain went with Karan KC, Santosh Yadav, Shahab Alam and Sahan Arachchige. His next chance, if it comes, will likely come the same way his first two did: a short spell in the middle overs, with a wicket expected.
Where he fits in the Kathmandu side
Kathmandu Gorkhas sit top of the NPL Season 3 points table with 8 points from five matches — four wins, one loss, net run rate +1.168 — and they are already certain of a playoff place. Karan KC captains the side, Monty Desai is head coach, and the bowling attack that has carried them is built on the captain himself (7 wickets), Santosh Yadav (6) and Sahan Arachchige (5).
Shah's two wickets put him joint-fifth on that list, from half the matches of the men above him. In a squad of 16, the players who contribute without a fixed role are the ones who keep a campaign going when injuries or match-ups bite. With David Warner gone home and two league matches left — Sudurpaschim Royals on 13 November and Pokhara Avengers on 15 November — depth is about to matter more than it has all season. SialTV will update this page after every Kathmandu match, through the final on 21 November.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Dev Shah's role for Kathmandu Gorkhas?
His role is not listed in the squad file — no batting hand, no bowling style, no fixed position. He was bought at the base price of NPR 2 lakh, and in the season so far he has been used as a middle-overs bowler, taking a wicket in each of his two outings.
How many wickets has Dev Shah taken in NPL 2026?
Two wickets in two matches: 1 for 28 against Karnali Yaks on 2 November and 1 for 15 against Biratnagar Kings on 5 November. He has bowled five overs in total, at an economy rate of 8.60 and an average of 21.50.
Has Dev Shah batted in NPL Season 3?
No. He has no batting entry in the Season 3 stats file through Kathmandu's first five matches. Kathmandu's lower order has rarely been needed — in the Biratnagar win, only three batters were required at all.