Rohit Paudel
Nepal's national cricket captain and all-time leading ODI run-scorer with 2,212 runs.
Batting All-Rounder
Rohit Kumar Paudel
Rohit Kumar Paudel (born 2 September 2002) is Nepal's national cricket captain and all-time leading ODI run-scorer with 2,212 runs. He captains the Lumbini Lions in the NPL 2026, led them to their first title in 2025, and has captained Nepal at the 2024 and 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cups.
Career Highlights
Key numbers
Rohit Kumar Paudel is Nepal's national cricket captain and the country's all-time leading run-scorer in One Day Internationals. He made his ODI debut at just 15, became the youngest male cricketer ever to score an international half-century, and by 20 was already leading his national side. Today, as captain across all formats, he has taken Nepal to two T20 World Cups and led Lumbini Lions to their maiden Nepal Premier League (NPL) title. This guide covers his biography, verified career numbers, NPL performance, salary and auction background, and records—all sourced from ESPNcricinfo, Wikipedia, HowSTAT, and verified Nepali news outlets.
Player Profile
Cricket Career
Early Career
Paudel grew up in Nawalparasi and was drawn to cricket after watching Nepal play in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. He first drew attention in Nepal's Under-19 setup, including a memorable innings against India's Kamlesh Nagarkoti in an U-19 ODI in 2016. He made his List A debut for Nepal on 8 February 2018 in the ICC World Cricket League Division Two.
Domestic Career
Paudel has represented several Nepali domestic sides over the years, including Bhairahawa Gladiators (2021), Tribhuwan Army Club (2021–22), and Biratnagar Super Kings (2022–23), where he served as vice-captain during the 2022 Nepal T20 League. Since 2024, he has played for the Armed Police Force (APF) Club, turning out in the Prime Minister Cup, Nepal's premier domestic 50-over competition, where he has posted knocks such as 61 against Koshi Province and 71 against Lumbini Province.
International Career
Paudel made his ODI debut against the Netherlands on 3 August 2018, aged 15 years and 335 days — the fourth-youngest ODI debutant in the format's history. In only his third ODI, on 26 January 2019 against the UAE, he scored 55 off 58 balls to become the youngest male cricketer ever to hit an international half-century at 16 years and 146 days, surpassing a long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar. His own record stood for just over a year before being broken by teammate Kushal Malla in February 2020.
Paudel was named Nepal's captain in November 2022, at 20 years and 73 days — the second-youngest ODI captaincy appointment in cricket history. He took over at a turbulent time for Nepali cricket, with the team near the bottom of the World Cup Super League 2 table. Under his leadership, Nepal won 11 of 12 ODIs to secure a spot at the 2023 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, and later that year lifted the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup, sealing Nepal's qualification for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan.
He has since captained Nepal at two ICC Men's T20 World Cups — 2024 (where Nepal lost a nail-biter to South Africa by one run) and 2026, where his side pushed England close at Wankhede Stadium before recording their first-ever T20 World Cup win, beating Scotland by seven wickets. In October 2025, Paudel became the first Nepali batter to score two ODI centuries, including 109 against the UAE, and crossed the 2,000-run mark in ODIs — a national record.
Franchise Career
Paudel made his international franchise debut in June 2024, signing with the Toronto Nationals for Global T20 Canada, playing alongside stars like Shaheen Afridi, Colin Munro, and Rassie van der Dussen.
Nepal Premier League Career
Paudel has been a marquee player and captain of Lumbini Lions since the NPL's inaugural 2024 season. In Season 1, despite Lumbini finishing last, he was the tournament's leading run-scorer with 279 runs. In Season 2 (2025), he led Lumbini Lions to their first-ever NPL title, contributing 276 runs and 10 wickets, including a hat-trick in the final.
Salary & Auction
Because marquee players are assigned via a random draw rather than competitive bidding, NPL organizers and Lumbini Lions have not made Paudel's individual salary figure public. Nepal's Cricket Association also awarded him a central contract in September 2020, though exact contract tiers and figures are not officially published.
NPL Stats
Career Statistics
T20I Career
ODI Career
Paudel has not played any Test matches, as Nepal is not currently a Test-playing nation. List A stats largely overlap with his ODI record since most of his List A appearances are ODIs.
NPL Records & Achievements
- Youngest male cricketer to score an international half-century (16 years, 146 days) — record later broken by teammate Kushal Malla
- Fourth-youngest ODI debutant in men's international cricket history (15 years, 335 days)
- Nepal's all-time leading ODI run-scorer, first Nepali to reach 1,000 ODI runs (2023) and 2,000 ODI runs (2025)
- First Nepali batter with two ODI centuries, including 109 vs UAE (October 2025)
- Second-youngest ODI captaincy appointment in cricket history (age 20 years, 73 days)
- Led Nepal to the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup title and 2023 Asia Cup qualification
- Captained Nepal at the 2024 and 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cups
- NSJF Pulsar Sports Award — Player of the Year (Male), 2024
- NPL 2024: Leading run-scorer of the tournament (279 runs) despite Lumbini Lions finishing last
- NPL 2025: Led Lumbini Lions to their maiden title; named Best Nepali Player of the Tournament, Best Batter, and Emerging Player of the Tournament; took a hat-trick in the final
Latest News
February 2026
Paudel captained Nepal at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, narrowly losing to England at Wankhede Stadium before leading his side to their first-ever T20 World Cup win, defeating Scotland by seven wickets.
December 2025
Led Lumbini Lions to their first NPL title, taking a hat-trick in the final and being named Best Nepali Player of the Tournament and Best Batter.
October 2025
Became the first Nepali batter to score two ODI centuries and crossed 2,000 career ODI runs.
August 2026
Retained by Lumbini Lions as marquee player and captain for the NPL 2026 season auction held in Kathmandu.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How old is Rohit Paudel?
Rohit Paudel was born on 2 September 2002, making him 23 years old as of July 2026.
2. Which NPL team does Rohit Paudel play for?
He plays for and captains Lumbini Lions in the Nepal Premier League, where he is also the team's marquee player.
3. What is Rohit Paudel's salary?
His individual salary has not been publicly disclosed. As an NPL marquee player, he is assigned to Lumbini Lions through a draw system rather than the open auction, and franchises typically don't reveal marquee player pay.
4. What was Rohit Paudel's auction price?
Paudel has never gone through the NPL's standard player auction — he has been Lumbini Lions' marquee player, assigned by draw, since the league's first season in 2024.
5. What are Rohit Paudel's NPL stats?
In NPL 2024, he scored 279 runs in 7 matches (season's leading run-scorer) and took 8 wickets. In NPL 2025, he scored 276 runs and took 10 wickets, including a hat-trick in the final that sealed Lumbini Lions' first title.
6. What records does Rohit Paudel hold?
He is Nepal's all-time highest ODI run-scorer, was briefly the youngest male cricketer to score an international half-century, and is the second-youngest player ever appointed ODI captain.
7. What is Rohit Paudel's batting and bowling style?
He bats right-handed and bowls right-arm offbreak, functioning as a batting all-rounder.