A strong campaign in Australia has earned Ariful Islam his first opportunity to play franchise cricket outside Bangladesh, with the young batter set to represent Karnali Yaks in the upcoming Nepal Premier League.
Ariful confirmed the move to TIMES, becoming the second Bangladeshi player to join Karnali Yaks after wicketkeeper-batter Akbar Ali.
The 21-year-old has also received a full-season NOC from the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He will travel to Nepal despite his National Cricket League commitments to take part in the NPL.
Ariful caught the eye in the Top End T20 Series in Australia while representing Bangladesh High Performance. He scored 219 runs in seven matches at an average of 36.50 and a strike rate of 138.60, finishing as the competition’s third-highest run-scorer.
He also struck two half-centuries, showcasing his aggressive approach in the shortest format. That run came after a relatively quiet outing against Malaysia in August, but his performances in Australia have now opened the door to his first overseas franchise assignment.
Ariful’s franchise experience so far has been limited to the Bangladesh Premier League. He scored 76 runs in four matches for Sylhet Strikers in the previous edition and has made 427 runs from 17 T20 matches overall.
His inclusion takes the number of confirmed Bangladeshi players in the NPL to three. Shakib Al Hasan will represent Pokhara Avengers, while Akbar and Ariful will play for Karnali Yaks.
The NPL is scheduled to begin on 17 November, with the final on 13 December. All matches will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.
