Sudurpaschim Royals have confirmed the signing of England all-rounder Saif Ali Zaib as their first overseas player for Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2026, the franchise announced on its official social media channels on Sunday.

Zaib returns to the Royals after playing for the side in the tournament's inaugural edition, where he was named the competition's best player. He scored 275 runs, including two half-centuries, and took 12 wickets across nine matches in that campaign.

The left-handed batter and slow left-arm bowler has not represented England at senior international level but has built a strong T20 record in domestic cricket, scoring more than 1,792 runs across 112 T20 matches at a strike rate above 140. Over 1,600 of those runs have come in the Vitality Blast, where he has also taken 23 wickets as a bowler. Zaib most recently featured in both the Vitality Blast and The Hundred.

"I am very happy to return to my home and excited to play in Nepal again," Zaib said following the announcement.

Sudurpaschim Royals CEO Prakash Khadka said the club expects Zaib's return to strengthen their title push. "We are delighted to welcome Zaib back. He has already proven himself as a match-winner in Nepali conditions, and we expect a similar contribution this time. We believe his role will be crucial in achieving our goal of winning the first title," Khadka said.

The Royals, runners-up in both the first and second editions of the NPL, have built their NPL 2026 squad around a core of retained players: captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Binod Bhandari, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Abhinash Bohora, Hemant Dhami, and Hikmat Mahara. Through the auction, the franchise also added Deepak Bohora, Milan Bohora, Tek Rawat, Anil Kharel, Sachin Bhatt, and Ayub Chand.

Zaib is the first confirmed overseas signing announced by Sudurpaschim Royals ahead of NPL 2026.