Sundeep Jora
Youngest male T20I half-centurion in history and a core member of NPL champions Lumbini Lions.
Middle-order Batter
Sundeep Jora
Sundeep Jora is a right-handed middle-order batter for the Nepal national cricket team and a core member of NPL champions Lumbini Lions. He shot to international attention as a 17-year-old in January 2019, when he became the youngest male cricketer in history to score a Twenty20 International half-century — a record he still holds. Since then, Jora has developed into one of Nepal's most dependable middle-order batters, playing a part in the country's landmark 2025 bilateral T20I series win over the West Indies and helping Lumbini Lions win their maiden Nepal Premier League title in 2025.
Career Highlights
Key numbers
Sundeep Jora is a Nepalese right-handed middle-order batter for Lumbini Lions and the Nepal national team. Born 20 October 2001 in Mahendranagar, he became the youngest male cricketer to score a T20I half-century in 2019 (53* at age 17). He helped Lumbini Lions win their maiden NPL title in 2025.
Player Profile
Cricket Career
Playing Style
Jora is a specialist right-handed middle-order batter known for his calm temperament and ability to both anchor an innings and accelerate when required. His technique was forged early: he made his international debut at 17 and immediately showed poise beyond his years, top-scoring in tense run-chases and pressure situations. His T20I approach has become progressively more aggressive over time — his September 2025 innings of 63 off 39 balls against the West Indies, laced with five sixes, and his record-breaking 176 runs (including 23 sixes) at the 2025/26 Hong Kong Sixes both point to a batter who has added genuine power-hitting to his game without losing the composure that made his name in 2019. He is not a frontline bowler and is used purely as a specialist batter.
Early Career
Jora grew up in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur, and progressed through Nepal's age-group system, representing Nepal's Under-19 side, including the 2019 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, where he scored 104 runs across two matches at an average of 52.
Domestic Career
Jora plays domestic cricket for the Armed Police Force (APF) Club in Nepal. In the 2024 Prime Minister Cup — a key one-day provincial/domestic tournament — he scored his maiden List A century, 112 runs, in an APF win over Bagmati Province at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. He had earlier shown longer-format promise, top-scoring with 60 off 76 balls for Karnali Province against a strong total in January 2021, earning Player of the Match.
International Career
Jora made his List A debut for Nepal on 28 January 2019 against the UAE, followed two days later by his T20I debut against the same opposition on 31 January 2019 — the match in which he became the youngest male player to score a T20I half-century (53* off 46 balls, aged 17 years 103 days). He was subsequently named in Nepal's squads for the 2019 South Asian Games (where Nepal won bronze), the 2019–20 Oman Pentangular Series, and the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
In July 2021, he featured in Nepal's ODI series win over Papua New Guinea — Nepal's first-ever ODI victory. He played a key role in the semi-final of the 2024 ACC Men's T20I Premier Cup, scoring 50 off 40 balls against the UAE to help Nepal secure a spot in the Asia Cup, and was subsequently named in Nepal's squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. His most recent international highlight came in September 2025, when he scored 63 off 39 balls (five sixes, three fours) against the West Indies — Nepal's first-ever bilateral T20I series win over a Test-playing nation.
Franchise Career (Nepal Premier League)
Jora has played for Lumbini Lions since the franchise's inception in 2024, when he was signed at the player auction for 15 lakh Nepalese rupees (NPR 1.5 million). He was retained by Lumbini for the 2025 season and was part of the squad that won the franchise's maiden NPL title in December 2025, beating Sudurpaschim Royals in the final. He was retained again by Lumbini Lions ahead of NPL Season 3 (2026).
Other T20 Cricket
Outside the NPL, Jora represented Purbeli Super Kings in the Nepal Super League in 2025. At the 2025/26 Hong Kong Sixes, he set a tournament record with 23 sixes while scoring 176 runs, earning recognition as the tournament's most prolific six-hitter.
Career Timeline
2019 — Nepal U-19 squad, 2019 ACC U-19 Asia Cup.
28 Jan 2019 — List A/ODI debut vs UAE.
31 Jan 2019 — T20I debut vs UAE; scores 53* to become youngest male T20I half-centurion (17y 103d).
Nov 2019 — Named in Nepal squad, 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup and South Asian Games (bronze medal).
Jan 2021 — 60 off 76 for Karnali Province vs Nepal Armed Police Force; Player of the Match.
Jul 2021 — Part of Nepal's first-ever ODI series win, vs Papua New Guinea.
2024 — Signed by Lumbini Lions for NPL's inaugural season (15 lakh NPR).
Apr 2024 — 50 off 40 in ACC Men's T20I Premier Cup semi-final vs UAE.
2024 — Maiden List A century (112) for APF vs Bagmati Province, Prime Minister Cup.
May 2024 — Named in Nepal's 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad.
2025 — Retained by Lumbini Lions for NPL Season 2.
Sep 2025 — Career-best T20I score, 63 off 39 vs West Indies; Nepal's first series win over a Test-playing nation.
Nov–Dec 2025 — Lumbini Lions win maiden NPL title; Jora scores 115 runs across the season.
2025/26 — Sets Hong Kong Sixes tournament record: 176 runs, 23 sixes.
2026 — Retained by Lumbini Lions for NPL Season 3.
Salary & Auction
Jora's current national-team match fees and any central contract salary have not been publicly disclosed. As a retained player rather than a fresh auction buy in 2025 and 2026, his post-2024 franchise fees are not part of the public auction price sheets the way freshly auctioned players' fees are.
NPL Stats
Career Statistics
T20I Career
ODI Career
Jora has represented Nepal at T20I level since January 2019, most recently featuring against Scotland in February 2026. Ball-by-ball aggregate career figures are maintained on ESPNcricinfo's Statsguru but are not consolidated in a single public summary. Nepal does not currently hold Test status; Jora has not played Test cricket.
NPL Records & Achievements
- Youngest male T20I half-centurion in history — 53* off 46 balls vs UAE, 31 January 2019, aged 17 years 103 days
- Hong Kong Sixes 2025/26 record — most sixes in the tournament (23), scoring 176 runs
- Part of Nepal's squad for its first-ever ODI series win (vs Papua New Guinea, 2021)
- Part of Nepal's squad for its first-ever bilateral T20I series win over a Test-playing nation (vs West Indies, September 2025)
- NPL champion (2025) with Lumbini Lions — the franchise's maiden title
- Maiden List A century (112) for APF Club, 2024 Prime Minister Cup
Latest News
August 2026
Retained by Lumbini Lions ahead of Nepal Premier League Season 3, alongside captain Rohit Paudel, Sher Malla, Dilip Nath, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishek Gautam, and Tilak Bhandari. Lumbini's biggest move of the 2026 auction cycle was signing wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh via lucky draw for a reported 20 lakh NPR.
November–December 2026
NPL Season 3 is scheduled to run from 17 November to 13 December 2026 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
February 2026
Most recent T20I appearance came against Scotland.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How old is Sundeep Jora?
Sundeep Jora was born on 20 October 2001, making him 24 years old as of July 2026.
2. Which NPL team does Sundeep Jora play for?
He plays for Lumbini Lions, having been with the franchise since its inaugural 2024 season and retained through Seasons 2 and 3.
3. What is Sundeep Jora's salary?
His NPL retention fees for 2025 and 2026 have not been publicly disclosed. His original 2024 auction fee was 15 lakh NPR (NPR 1,500,000).
4. What was Sundeep Jora's auction price?
He was signed by Lumbini Lions for 15 lakh NPR at the inaugural NPL auction in 2024. He was retained (not re-auctioned) for both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
5. What are Sundeep Jora's NPL stats?
He scored 108 runs in six innings in NPL 2024 and 115 runs across the 2025 season, in which Lumbini Lions won the title.
6. What records does Sundeep Jora hold?
He is the youngest male cricketer to score a T20I half-century (53* at 17 years 103 days) and holds the Hong Kong Sixes 2025/26 record for most sixes in a tournament (23).
7. What is Sundeep Jora's batting and bowling style?
He is a right-handed middle-order batter and does not bowl regularly.