David Warner has signed with the Kathmandu Gorkhas for the third season of the Nepal Premier League, the Kathmandu-based franchise confirmed on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, through a video message on social media.

The 39-year-old former Australia opener becomes the Gorkhas' third confirmed overseas signing for NPL Season 3, joining Sri Lankan all-rounder Sahan Arachchige and India wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat on the roster. His arrival is the highest-profile overseas signing across all three NPL seasons to date, given his World Cup pedigree: Warner is a two-time ODI World Cup winner (2015, 2023), a T20 World Cup winner (2021), and a World Test Championship winner (2021-23) with Australia, and he has won three IPL Orange Caps in franchise cricket.

In his video message, Warner said he was "really excited" to join the Kathmandu Gorkhas squad and acknowledged the difficult period many people in Nepal have experienced, adding that he hoped the NPL "could bring some joy and give people something to come together." He said he had heard about the passion of Nepal's cricket supporters and was looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere in Kathmandu, before closing his message with "Ayo Gorkhali!"—the franchise's rallying cry.

Kathmandu Gorkha's executive director, Anubhab Swar Sirohiya, told the Kathmandu Post that securing Warner took months of negotiation. "It took months of conversations, persistence, and belief from everyone involved," Sirohiya said, adding that seeing a player of Warner's stature represent Kathmandu at the TU Cricket Ground made the effort worthwhile.

The franchise had built anticipation for the announcement over several days, posting cryptic clues on social media—including images of the ODI and T20 World Cup trophies and a necklace bearing the number "31"—before confirming Warner's signing on Tuesday afternoon.

Warner's signing comes as NPL Season 3 approaches its October 26–November 21 window at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. He arrives having gone unsold in the most recent IPL auction cycle but continues to be an active presence in global franchise cricket, having featured in the BBL 2025–26 and PSL 2026 seasons.

For the Kathmandu Gorkhas, Warner's arrival adds significant experience and commercial weight to a squad already carrying overseas talent in Arachchige and Bharat, ahead of what is shaping up to be the most competitive overseas market NPL has seen in its three-season history.