ROYALS
2026 SquadNPL 2026 player profile
Aarif Sheikh
All-Rounder•Nepali
Current NPL team
Sudurpaschim Royals
NPL 2026 status
Confirmed squadSquad listing
06 / 12
01
ODI Runs
1,400+
02
T20I Runs
~592
03
ODI High Score
84
04
NPL 2025 Runs
39
05
NPL Finals
2 (2024, 2025)
06
NPL Seasons
3 (retained)
Player overview
About Aarif Sheikh
Aarif Sheikh is a Nepali cricketer born on 4/5 October 1997 in Birgunj.
Player details
| Full name | Aarif Sheikh |
| Date of birth | 4/5 October 1997 (sources differ by a day; Wikipedia lists 5 October 1997) |
| Birthplace | Birgunj, Nepal |
| Country | Nepali |
| Playing role | All-Rounder |
| Batting style | Right-handed batsman |
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium pace |
NPL record
Aarif Sheikh at NPL 2026
Season-by-season Nepal Premier League figures for Aarif Sheikh.
| Season | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | Wkts | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL 2024 (Season 1) | Sudurpaschim Royals | Data limited on public trackers | — | — | — | — | — |
| NPL 2025 (Season 2) | Sudurpaschim Royals | 3 innings tracked | 39 | Not specified | 13.00 | — | — |
| NPL 2026 (Season 3) | Sudurpaschim Royals | Season yet to begin (17 Nov – 13 Dec 2026) | — | — | — | — | — |
Salary & auction
| NPL 2024 | Sudurpaschim Royals — retained; fee not publicly disclosed |
| NPL 2025 | Sudurpaschim Royals — retained; fee not publicly disclosed |
| NPL 2026 | Sudurpaschim Royals — retained; fee not publicly disclosed |
| CAN Central Contract | Yes (since September 2020) |
Career record
Aarif Sheikh career records
Available senior career figures from the structured player record.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Best bowling | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | ~49 | ~592 | ~4 | N/A | 0/Not specified |
| ODI | 65–70 | ~1,405–1,486 | 8–9 | N/A | 0/9 |
Aarif Sheikh was one of eleven cricketers to feature in Nepal's first-ever ODI against the Netherlands in August 2018. List A: ~89 matches, ~1,713 runs, highest 84, ~9 wickets. Domestic T20 figures vary by tracker scope (~484–765 runs).
Records & achievements
- Three-time retained player for Sudurpaschim Royals (2024–2026)
- Part of Sudurpaschim Royals squads that reached the NPL final in 2024 and 2025
- One of eleven players who featured in Nepal's first-ever ODI in August 2018
- 2019 South Asian Games bronze medal with Nepal
Career
Aarif Sheikh's teams and career
Career Timeline
- December 2013 — Represents Nepal U-19 at the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.
- 21 January 2015 — List A debut vs Namibia.
- 29 July 2018 — T20I debut vs MCC.
- 1 August 2018 — ODI debut vs Netherlands — Nepal's first-ever ODI.
- November 2019 — 2019 South Asian Games bronze medal with Nepal.
- September 2020 — Awarded central contract by CAN.
Sudurpaschim Royals