David Warner in Nepal Premier League: Ex-Australia star joins NPL side Kathmandu Gorkhas

David Warner in Nepal Premier League: Ex-Australia star joins NPL side Kathmandu Gorkhas originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Australia star David Warner has signed with Kathmandu Gorkhas for the third season of the Nepal Premier League starting October 26.

Warner is the biggest signing in NPL history, a two-time ODI World Cup winner, a T20 World Cup winner and WTC champion.

Kathmandu Gorkhas teased the announcement through cryptic social media posts before confirming Warner via a personal video message.

From IPL legend to NPL! David Warner signs for Kathmandu Gorkha in historic Nepal Premier League blockbuster deal

David Warner is heading to Nepal, and the Kathmandu Gorkhas have landed the biggest name in the tournament's short history.

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The explosive former Australian opener has been confirmed as one of the franchise's foreign signings for the third season of the Nepal Premier League, which runs from October 26 to November 21.

On Thursday night, they shared a photo of two trophies, the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup, leaving fans guessing. Then on Saturday, a photo of a necklace carrying the number "31" narrowed it down considerably, and by the time Tuesday afternoon arrived, it was made official.

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In a video message, Warner spoke with excitement about what the trip means to him and what he hopes the tournament can offer to cricket fans in Nepal.

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"Hi everyone, I am really excited to be coming to Nepal and joining the Kathmandu Gorkhas squad," he said.

"I know it has been an incredibly difficult time for so many, and I hope that the NPL could bring some joy and give people something to come together. I have heard so much about the passion and the fans. I can't wait to experience it all. I can't wait to meet you and get out there and be with my team. Three cities, one soul, one team and one dream. Ayo Gorkhali!"

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David Warner's franchise cricket resume that made him a global draw

Warner is a two-time ODI World Cup winner with Australia, lifting the trophy in 2015 and 2023.

The 2021 T20 World Cup added another medal to his collection, and the 2021-23 World Test Championship completed what an extraordinarily well-decorated international career is. He was also named Player of the Series when Australia won the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Across 112 Tests, 161 ODIs and 110 T20Is for Australia, Warner scored approximately 19,000 international runs and hit 49 centuries: 26 in Tests, 22 in ODIs and one in T20I cricket.

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His Test high of 335 not out against Pakistan in Adelaide in 2019 remains the second-highest score ever made by an Australian batter in the format.

In the IPL, he was the highest run-scorer in three separate seasons, 2015, 2017 and 2019, and scored 500 or more runs in seven different campaigns.

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David Warner's signing that could change how cricket markets itself in Nepal

There's a practical point buried in this announcement that's worth making: cricket in Nepal is growing, but it needs moments that cut through outside the subcontinent's core audience.

Warner arriving at the NPL gives the tournament a global headline it simply couldn't generate on its own. His name is known everywhere cricket is watched, across Australia, India, the Caribbean, the subcontinent, and his presence in Kathmandu sends a message that the NPL is worth taking seriously as a destination for elite talent.

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Warner didn't need the profile boost, and that makes the endorsement more powerful. His video message touched on what cricket can do for a community dealing with difficulties, and that framing- entertainment as a form of solidarity- is one that franchise leagues should lean into far more than they do.

If his performances match his billing even loosely, the NPL's third season could be the one that puts the tournament firmly on the global franchise cricket map.

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