Season 3 in numbers
No matches, no runs, no wickets. Ali has not played in NPL Season 3 so far — and with Bam keeping in all five games, the second-choice keeper’s chance depends on an injury, a rest, or a dead rubber.
That is the reality of the second-choice keeper’s job. The role exists so the side is covered if the first-choice keeper is unavailable, and most seasons the cover is never needed. Ali cost NPR 5 lakh at the July auction — joint-second among the Kings’ domestic picks, level with Naren Saud and behind only Rupesh Singh’s 15 lakh — which says the franchise rates him as more than a name on a list.
His record below the NPL level is age-group cricket and domestic one-day cricket: national Under-19 selection, a place in the 2024 Asia Cup qualification squad and the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup squad, and a 2023 Prime Minister Cup campaign for Madhesh Province. The numbers are thin; the selection is the evidence.
Match by match
Dilsad Ali has not appeared in any of Biratnagar Kings’ five matches so far.
Lokesh Bam has kept wicket in all five games — and Bam is also the league’s top run-scorer with 194 runs, so there is no scenario in which the captain rests him for a keeper swap. The Kings have had no reason to rotate the gloves, and Ali has had no game.
The last two league games are the only realistic window. If the Kings win on Thursday and qualify before Saturday, the final game against Lumbini Lions could be a dead rubber — the one match in which a second-choice keeper might get a game.
The keeper from Birgunj
Ali is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Birgunj, Parsa, bought by Biratnagar Kings for NPR 5 lakh at the July auction. He came through Nepal’s age-group system and was named in the national Under-19 setup before moving into domestic one-day cricket.
The path ran through the youth system: national Under-19 selection, then a place in the 2024 Asia Cup qualification squad and the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup squad, and a 2023 Prime Minister Cup campaign for Madhesh Province. Each step was a vote of confidence from the selectors.
As a keeper he is the cover for Bam, and as a batter he is a right-handed option in a squad whose senior batters are mostly right-handed too. His value is depth: the franchise paid 5 lakh for a keeper who can step in without the side changing its shape.
Where the Kings stand
Ali is the second-choice keeper in a side chasing two wins: Biratnagar Kings are sixth after Match 21 — four points from five games, with a net run rate of −0.820. The full table is on the NPL Points Table, and every result is on the NPL Results page.
Two wins from the last two games would take the Kings to 8 points and almost certainly into the playoffs. Ali’s own season depends on whether the Kings qualify early enough to rotate — and on whether the captain is willing to rest the league’s top run-scorer for a game.
What’s next
The run-in is short: two league games, then the playoffs. All the dates and times are on the NPL Schedule, inside the Nepal Premier League hub.
- Match 22 — Biratnagar Kings vs Pokhara Avengers: Thursday 12 November 2026, 12:30 PM NST (11:45 AM PKT, 6:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- Match 26 — Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions: Saturday 14 November 2026, 4:30 PM NST (3:45 PM PKT, 10:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- Playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 17 November, the Eliminator on Wednesday 18 November, Qualifier 2 on Thursday 19 November, and the final on Saturday 21 November — every playoff starts at 4:30 PM NST.
The points table after every match day, and every result as it happens, is on SialTV.
Frequently asked questions
Has Dilsad Ali played in NPL 2026?
No. He has not appeared in any of Biratnagar Kings’ five matches so far. He is the side’s second-choice wicketkeeper, behind Lokesh Bam. Figures cover matches 1–21.
How much did Biratnagar Kings pay for Dilsad Ali?
NPR 5 lakh at the July auction — joint-second among the Kings’ domestic picks, level with Naren Saud and behind only Rupesh Singh, who cost 15 lakh. He is a wicketkeeper-batter from Birgunj, Parsa.
When is Biratnagar Kings’ next match?
Thursday 12 November 2026, against Pokhara Avengers in Match 22, at 12:30 PM NST at the TU Ground in Kirtipur. Their last league game is against Lumbini Lions on Saturday 14 November.