Pokhara Avengers have signed Bangladeshi all-rounder Mahedi Hasan for the third Nepal Premier League, adding a right-arm off-spinner and middle-order option to their overseas group ahead of the 26 October start.⁠

The franchise announced the deal on 21 October. The 31-year-old, who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin, is currently ranked eighth in the ICC T20I bowling rankings. He has taken 78 wickets in 78 T20Is for Bangladesh while scoring 494 runs in the format. Across all T20 cricket, he has played 210 matches, scored 2,131 runs, and claimed 197 wickets.⁠

Pokhara already holds Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Sri Lankan pace-bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne as overseas players, with Sri Lankan all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan retained from the previous season. Mahedi’s arrival gives the side two high-quality Bangladeshi all-rounders and extra spin depth under head coach Ajantha Mendis. The franchise said it expects his all-round contribution to strengthen the squad.

Pokhara Avengers finished fifth in the 2025 season and has yet to reach the playoffs in either of the first two NPL campaigns. Captain Kushal Bhurtel leads a retained core that includes Sagar Dhakal, Aakash Chand, and Bipin Khatri. With the tournament beginning on 26 October at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and running until 21 November, the signing arrives with limited time for the new overseas players to settle into the group.

The addition expands Pokhara’s overseas balance at a time when the league has confirmed the use of the Decision Review System in every match and revised match start times to accommodate reviews. How the franchise deploys its overseas slots—particularly the two Bangladeshi all-rounders—will be one of the early points of interest once the group stage begins.