NPL 2024: Tanvir to Bopara, meet Chitwan Rhinos' overseas stars

The Nepal Premier League (NPL) began its first edition on December 1 (Sunday) with the match between Biratnagar Kings and Janakpur Bolts at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kiritpur. 

In the 2024 edition, the Chitwan Rhinos, a team representing the Chitwan district and the surrounding areas in the Terai region of Nepal, drafted some of the great overseas stars. It is a mix of youth and experience, as 39-year-old Ravi Bopara from England and 18-year-old Hassan Eisakhil, son of Mohammad Nabi from Afghanistan, are present.

Here is how the overseas lineup of the Rhinos stacks up:

Ravi Bopara

Ravi Bopara, the man who has travelled almost the entire cricketing world to play the game that he loves, would also look to shed some of his brilliance on the cricketing fields of Kiritpur. 

With an experience of 457 T20 matches, in which he has 9214 runs and 283 wickets, the English all-rounder is as reliable a player as one would get. 

Sohail Tanvir

Left-arm seamer Tanvir, again a 39-year-old globe trotter from Pakistan, has played 390 T20s after having represented the Men in Green in 121 matches across formats. 

Executing yorkers at will with his wrong-foot bowling action, Tanvir is more than capable of wielding the willow in the late order as well. He has 2718 T20 runs with three fifties at a strike rate of 120.78, providing the Rhinos with much-needed experience

Hassan Eisakhil

Son of one of Afghanistan's greatest ever - Mohammad Nabi, Hassan Eisakhil is trying to find his feet in international cricket. In pursuance, he signed his maiden overseas contract with the Rhinos. 

The 18-year-old, an opening batter, has played 16 T20s so far, scoring 426 runs with three fifties. 

Luc Martin Benkenstein

Another cricketer, Luc Martin Benkenstein, born and raised in South Africa but dreaming of representing England, has already taken one step towards that goal. Son of the yesteryear South African cricketer Dale Benkenstein, the Essex all-rounder, is already one of the hottest talents back in England.

The 20-year-old all-rounder has already represented England at the U-19 level. With a Zimbabwean-South African heritage, he is a born sportsman. So far, he has scored 451 runs and taken 19 wickets in List-A cricket. He brings about aggression to the setup, with a T20 strike rate of 158.13. 

Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton

Namibia’s 23-year-old all-rounder has the second-fastest T20I century behind Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball hundred. Apart from that feat, Loftie-Eaton is also a good enough leg-break bowler. He is another utility player in the team, much like Bopara and Tanvir. 

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