The gloves, the runs, and the man behind him
Sahil Patel's season is a story about a position. He is a wicketkeeper — the specialist position — and his game is defined by the gloves first. A domestic keeper valued at NPR 5 lakh in consecutive auctions is being paid for reliability: clean takes standing up to the spinners, sharp work to the medium-pacers, and the concentration to keep for 20 overs on a turning Kirtipur surface where every ball can misbehave.
That reliability has won him the gloves ahead of KS Bharat, the India keeper with a Ranji triple hundred and more than 1,800 T20 runs. Bharat is one of Kathmandu's three overseas signings, and he has not batted in the season. Patel has kept in the last three matches — against Biratnagar, Lumbini and Chitwan — and batted in all three: 10, 38 and 8. The 38 against Lumbini on 7 November was his best innings of the season, and it came in a 36-run win.
His batting is the secondary currency, and it has held up. Modern T20 keepers must contribute in the lower middle order, rotating strike and finding boundaries against spin — and Patel's 56 runs in three innings, at a strike rate of 94.92, is a working return for a man whose first job is behind the stumps. He has opened the batting in all three matches he has played, which says the captain trusts him with the new ball as well as the gloves.
Sahil Patel's NPL 2026 numbers
Batting: 56 runs in three innings, highest score 38, strike rate 94.92. He has not bowled in the season — keepers rarely do. The table below is current through Match 20.
| Matches | Runs | Balls | Highest | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | Average | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 56 | 59 | 38 | 5 | 2 | 94.92 | 18.67 | 0 |
The numbers are modest, but the context is the job. Patel bats at the top of the order — he has opened in all three of his matches — and his role is to give the innings a start, not to finish it. His 38 against Lumbini took 36 balls, with two fours and two sixes: a measured innings in a match Kathmandu won by 36 runs, built on David Warner's 66 and finished by Sahan Arachchige's unbeaten 34.
There is one wrinkle in the record worth noting honestly. Patel's squad status carries a note: the auction tracker lists a sale, but the auction-day timeline says unsold, and the two have not been reconciled. What is not in doubt is that he is in the side, keeping wicket, and batting — and that his place has survived the presence of an India Test keeper in the squad.
Three innings — 10, 38, 8
Match 15, 5 November, vs Biratnagar Kings — 10 off 11 balls. His first innings of the season, opening the batting in a chase of 84. Kathmandu needed only three batters — Warner finished it with 44 not out — and won by nine wickets in 9.4 overs. Patel's 10 was a start, not a statement. Match 18, 7 November, vs Lumbini Lions — 38 off 36 balls. His best innings. Opening again, he made 38 with two fours and two sixes, and held the innings together while Warner made 66 at the other end. Kathmandu reached 160 for 8, Lumbini were bowled out for 124, and the Gorkhas won by 36 runs. Match 20, 9 November, vs Chitwan Rhinos — 8 off 12 balls. A shorter stay in a higher-scoring game. Kathmandu made 180 for 8 — Rashid Khan's 52 the headline — and Chitwan fell 10 runs short. Patel's 8 was a footnote in a win built on the middle order.Keeper of the table-toppers
Kathmandu Gorkhas lead the NPL Season 3 points table with 8 points from five matches — four wins, one loss, net run rate +1.168 — and they are already certain of a playoff place. Karan KC captains the side, Monty Desai is head coach, and the keeping position has been one of the few settled ones in a side that has changed around it.
David Warner's departure on 10 November changes the batting order at the top — and Patel, as the opener who has batted in the last three matches, is part of whatever comes next. Whether KS Bharat finally gets his chance, or Patel keeps the gloves and the opening slot, is the selection question of the run-in. The next match is the biggest of the league stage: Sudurpaschim Royals on Friday 13 November, first against second, both on 8 points. SialTV will update this page after every Kathmandu match, through the final on 21 November.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Sahil Patel Kathmandu Gorkhas' wicketkeeper?
Yes. Patel is the Nepali wicketkeeper who has kept wicket in Kathmandu's last three matches — against Biratnagar, Lumbini and Chitwan — ahead of the overseas signing KS Bharat, the India keeper, who is yet to play.
How many runs has Sahil Patel scored in NPL 2026?
56 runs in three innings, at an average of 18.67 and a strike rate of 94.92. His best is 38 against Lumbini Lions on 7 November, in a 36-run win. He has opened the batting in all three matches he has played.
How much did Kathmandu pay for Sahil Patel?
NPR 5 lakh — a price he has commanded in consecutive auctions. One note: the auction tracker lists a sale, but the auction-day timeline says unsold, and the two records have not been reconciled. His place in the side is not in doubt.