Safe Zaz Returns to Sudurpashchim Royals for Third Edition

24th August, Kathmandu – Sudurpashchim Royals have signed England all-rounder Safe Ali Zaz as their first foreign player for the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2026.

Zaz has previously played for Sudurpashchim in the inaugural edition, where he delivered stellar performances and was named the tournament’s best player. In nine matches, he scored 275 runs including two half-centuries and took 12 wickets.

In the second edition, Zaz competed for Chitwan Rhinos, scoring 116 runs and taking five wickets in seven matches.

Although he has not had the opportunity to play for the England national team, Zaz remains active in domestic cricket. The left-handed batsman has appeared in 112 T20 matches, scoring over 1792 runs at a strike rate above 140. Notably, he has accumulated more than 1600 runs in the Vitality Blast tournament alone.

As a slow left-arm bowler, Zaz has also taken 23 wickets in T20 cricket. Lately, he has been performing strongly in the Vitality Blast and The Hundred tournaments.

Expressing his happiness upon returning to Sudurpashchim, Zaz said, “I am extremely happy to come back to my home here and excited to play again in Nepal.”

Sudurpashchim CEO Prakash Khadka shared his joy in welcoming Zaz back to the team.

“We are very happy and excited to have Zaz back in the squad. We believe he will deliver excellent contributions again, like in the first edition,” Khadka said.

Sudurpashchim has also retained captain Dipendra Singh Airis along with Vinod Bhandari, Arif Sheikh, Ishaan Pande, Abhinash Bohara, Hemanta Dhami, and Hikmat Mahar for the NPL 2026.

Additionally, the franchise has added Dipak Bohara, Milan Bohara, Tek Rawat, Anil Kharel, Sachin Bhatt, and Ayuv Chand through the auction.