Sri Lanka batter Dinesh Chandimal is the latest high-profile player who will feature in the Everest Premier League, Nepal's domestic T20 tournament. Chandimal, 31, will represent Bhairahawa Gladiators in the tournament, which will be played from September 25 to October 9 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
"I am so excited to visit the beautiful country of Nepal and I am very much looking forward to a great Everest Premier League season with the Gladiators," Chandimal said in a video message.
Chandimal brings with him considerable international experience, having played 62 Tests, 149 ODIs and 57 T20Is. In 2014, he was part of the Sri Lankan side that won the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. In Lanka Premier League 2020, Chandimal scored 246 runs from eight innings at an average of 41 and a strike rate of almost 130.
In 2012, Chandimal was bought by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals but didn't get a game.
Another Sri Lankan, Pubudu Dassanayake, will be joining Gladiators as head coach. A wicketkeeper-batter in his playing days, Dassanayake played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1994. Later, he played first-class and List A cricket for Canada before moving to a coaching role. He had successful stints as a coach with the national teams of Nepal and the USA.
Meanwhile, Danish Aziz, the left-hand batting allrounder who has played two ODIs and as many T20Is for Pakistan, will appear for Kathmandu Kings XI. Aziz will join another Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi and Nepal's legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane at Kings.
Last year, the EPL didn't take place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.