News
Sadeera Samarawickrama Joins Pokhara Avengers for NPL 2026
October 27, 2026
Janakpur Bolts have signed Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Sadeera Samarawickrama for the NPL 2026 season, adding an experienced overseas player to their squad.
Janakpur Bolts have signed Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Sadeera Samarawickrama for the NPL 2026 season, adding an experienced overseas player to their squad.
Pokhara Avengers have confirmed the arrival of Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Sadeera Samarawickrama for the third edition of the Nepal Premier League. welcoming the right-handed player under the nickname “Bullet.”
Sadeera Samarawickrama is a 31-year-old right-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Colombo. He made his international debut for Sri Lanka across all three formats in October 2017. In Tests he has scored a century (104*), while his highest ODI score is 108 and his best T20I score is 61*. Across ODIs he has more than 1,450 runs at an average above 32.
He has also been active in franchise cricket. In the 2026 Lanka Premier League, he represented Colombo Kaps and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 133.06. His experience keeping wicket and batting in the middle order gives Pokhara Avengers another flexible option in a squad already featuring several international all-rounders.
Before this announcement, Pokhara Avengers had publicly confirmed Shakib Al Hasan, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Chamika Karunaratne, Mahedi Hasan, and Mohammad Saifuddin as overseas players. Reports indicated the franchise had one overseas place still available. Samarawickrama’s addition appears to complete that group. The side is captained by Kushal Bhurtel and coached by former Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Pokhara Avengers finished seventh in the inaugural 2024 season and fifth in 2025, missing the playoffs both times. The franchise has retained a core of domestic players, including Bhurtel, and has focused on experienced overseas recruits for the current campaign.
The Nepal Premier League 2026 runs from 26 October to 21 November at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. All matches have been recognized by the ICC as official List A T20 fixtures, so performances count toward players’ official T20 statistics. Pokhara Avengers open their campaign on 28 October against Sudurpaschim Royals. Adding a specialist wicketkeeper-batter strengthens the side’s middle-order and keeping options as the tournament gets underway.
Full squad details, fixtures, and the live points table are available on the Pokhara Avengers team page and the NPL 2026 schedule. Further confirmation of availability and the playing XI will depend on the franchise’s final selection for each match.
NPL T20 Team
Written by the NPL T20 Team — cricket writers and editors covering the Nepal Premier League 2026. We share match reports, player profiles, points table updates, venue guides, and fantasy tips, verified through official and local sources.