For a few golden days over Dasain, Nepal got the postcard version of itself: blue skies, sharp views of the Central Himalaya and the cleanest air in months. The respite mattered in a country still recovering from successive flood disasters between August and October. It did not last — cyclone Arnab, rolling up from the Bay of Bengal, is forecast to bring heavy rain and snow on Friday and Saturday, after which southerly winds will push smoke and smog back into the valleys.
But there is a brighter story on the ground. Kirtipur Stadium on the edge of Kathmandu has been glowing under floodlights as the Nepal Premier League (NPL) gets into full swing. The T20 tournament is now recognised by the International Cricket Council, a meaningful milestone for a country whose cricket profile has been climbing fast. For visitors in Kathmandu, an evening match here comes with a bonus few venues anywhere can match: as the sun drops, the peaks of the Central Himalaya light up behind the stands.
There has been friction behind the scenes. The Pakistan Cricket Board, with a last-minute demand of $25,000 per player for No Objection Certificates, effectively blocked Pakistani cricketers from taking part — a blow to what might have been a proper South Asian celebration of the game in Nepal.
The tournament has also become tangled in national politics. Prime Minister Balendra Shah of the RSP inaugurated the competition on Monday, smiling and waving to a cheering crowd, and observers were quick to contrast his easy stadium appearance with his strained relations with Parliament, his own party and the opposition. The editorial line in Nepal's press is simple: cricket runs on teamwork, fair play and performance — qualities Nepal's leaders, past and present, could borrow. With a two-thirds majority, the argument goes, Shah has room to play a captain's innings rather than lean on social-media stunts.
Why should a traveller care? Because Kathmandu right now offers a rare combination: live ICC-recognised T20 cricket, Himalayan panoramas on clear days, and a city finding its feet after a hard year. Kirtipur itself — an old Newari hilltop town with temples, traditional architecture and famously good Newari food — is one of the Kathmandu Valley's most rewarding half-day trips, and pairing it with an evening match makes for a genuinely local experience you won't find in the guidebook canon.
Practical note: the weather window is fragile. Cyclone Arnab will disrupt the next couple of days, and once winds shift, pollution typically returns to the valley, dulling the mountain views. If you are planning a Kathmandu trip with Himalayan sightseeing in mind, build flexibility into those days and check the air-quality forecast as you would the rain radar. The cricket, at least, carries on under the lights.
