Jay Trophy: Here are key players set to miss the historic tournament

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has already announced the fixtures and schedule for the historic Jay Trophy – the multi-day format played with a red ball and traditional white attire. Originally planned to be named the Elite Cup, the tournament was renamed the Jay Trophy to celebrate its rich history and heritage.

The top four teams from the Prime Minister’s (PM) Cup National Cricket Tournament – Nepal Police Club (NPC), Tribhuwan Army Club (TAC), Bagmati Province, and Madhesh Province will battle in the tournament.

Remarkably, some well-known stars and key players, renowned for their mastery in the longer formats, will be missing the historic tournament set to commence on January 5, simultaneously in Birgunj, Parsa, and Janakpur, Dhanusha.

Players missing Jay Trophy:

Rohit Paudel: Nepal national cricket team’s captain will not be seen in the action as his team Armed Police Force (APF) club failed to qualify for the tournament after finishing fifth in the PM Cup.

Aasif Sheikh: Nepal’s opener, Aasif Sheikh, who represents APF Club in domestic cricket, is another significant absence from the tournament. Adding to this, Sheikh will miss the event set to take place in his hometown, Birgunj.

Sundeep Jora and Lokesh Bam: Jora and Bam, two standout batters, will also be absent from the historic tournament as their team, APF, did not secure qualification.

Dipendra Singh Airee: Nepal’s premium all-rounder and Nepal Police Club (NPC) captain, DS Airee will miss the historic event as he will be representing Gulf Giants in the ILT20 during that time. Airee will miss the entire tournament as he will depart on January 3 as per his Manager, Ravi Timalsina. Kushal Bhurtel could probably captain NPC in Airee’s absence.

Kushal Malla: The attacking all-rounder who plays for Tribuwan Army in domestic cricket was signed by Desert Vipers for the ILT20. Like Airee, Malla will miss the entire tournament as well.

Anil Sah: Anil played a pivotal role in helping Madhesh qualify for the Jay Trophy. However, he will be a big miss in the tournament because of his injury in the left hand during the later phase of the Nepal Premier League.

Pawan Sarraf: Pawan is another player who played a crucial part in Madhesh’s success in the PM Cup. However, he will also miss the event because of the injury.

Kamal Singh Airee: The pacer who plays for APF will miss the Jay Trophy. He was injured before Nepal Premier League and missed the tournament as well.

Bhuwan Karki and Sumit Maharjan: Bhuwan and Sumit are two renowned names in Nepal’s domestic cricket. However, they will not be seen in the tournament as APF misses out.

Dev Khanal and Arjun Kumal: Dev and Arjun are regarded as two prominent players who excel in and enjoy the longer format. However, neither will feature in Nepal’s multi-day format tournament, as their provinces, Lumbini and Gandaki, failed to qualify.

** Nepal Police Club’s Aarif Sheikh possibly will miss the first match because of his wedding ceremony.

Jay Trophy will start on 5th January. The matches will be held simultaneously in Janakpur and Parsa, with Madhesh facing Bagmati and Police clashing with Army on the opening day. The final is scheduled to take place in Parsa from January 14 to 16.