National Sports Council, the country’s apex sports body, is organising Nepal’s highest cash prize cricket event—the Prime Minister’s Cup One Day National—from May 23. 

The champions will collect Rs 2 million and the runners-up will pocket Rs 1 million. The cash prize beats the amount of Rs 1.5 million provided to the champions of the Dhangadi Premier League last month. A total of eight teams—five development regions along Nepal Armed Police Force Club, Nepal Police Club and Tribhuvan Army Club—will participate in the 15-day event.

NSC has handed over the responsibilities of organising the tournament to Kathmandu Cricket Training Centre (KCTC), a cricket academy run by national cricket team vice-captain Gyanendra Malla. NSC will provide Rs five million to KCTC who will also look for sponsors and co-sponsors. NSC Member Secretary Keshav Bista said it can also add another Rs 2.5 million if required. 

KCTC has already tapped in Ruslan Cricket as tournament’s main sponsor fetching an amount of Rs 2.5 million. Citizen Bank International Ltd is the banking partner and e-sewa is the online partner.  The tournament comes at a time when Nepal has not seen a single 50-over tournament in the last three years due to dispute in the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), which is under suspension from the International Cricket Council. 

“This (tournament) gives us an immense pleasure to announce the country’s highest cash-prized cricket tournament and comes at a time when CAN is serving a suspension. I consider this as a milestone in the history of the game in Nepal,” said NSC boss Bista during a press conference on Thursday. 

“There has been a lot of negativity surrounding the role of government in not properly looking after Nepal’s domestic cricket. The tournament will surely end all those negativities as well,” said Bista adding the tournament might include 10 teams including seven states and three departmental teams from next year once the country goes into federalism.

While the losing semi-finalist will get Rs 50,000 apiece, each win in league stage is worth Rs 25,000 in bonuses. Man-of-the-series will get Rs 1000,000 with the best bowler and batsman getting Rs 50,000 each. The emerging player of the tournament will also get Rs 25,000 and every man-of-the-match will be rewarded with Rs 5,000.

National cricket team head coach Jagat Tamatta thanked the government for coming up with the event. “This is a big platform for our cricketers. We are thankful to the government. Nepal is full of cricketing talents and this event will be very helpful in selecting cricketers for future events,” said Tamatta referring to Nepal’s ICC World Cricket League Championship away matches against Hong Kong on October 13 and 15. 

According to Tamatta, each region will be either forming a camp or hold tournaments to select the cricketers. “We have given Rs 50,000 to each region and they will be picking up cricketers under that criteria,” informed Tamatta. National team vice-captain Malla was excited by the gesture from the government. “This concern from the government regarding the domestic structure of cricket is really going to motivate the players. The PM Cup will be a perfect platform for the cricketers to showcase their talent,” said Malla.