Four matches, three wickets, barely a bad ball
Shahab Alam's method is patience. He tosses the ball up, invites the drive, and beats batters in the air as much as off the pitch. On Kirtipur's turning tracks, that style is the first-choice weapon: the surface grips, the ball holds up, and a left-arm spinner who flights it is the bowler the captain turns to when the game needs slowing down.
The numbers are the proof. Three wickets in four matches, 15 overs bowled, 80 runs conceded — an economy rate of 5.33, the best among Kathmandu's regular bowlers, and an average of 26.67. He has taken a wicket in three of his four matches, and the one match in which he did not — the opener against Janakpur, 0 for 18 in three overs — was the match Kathmandu lost by eight wickets.
The template for his bowling is a performance from the Darwin tour: 2 for 17 against the Hobart Hurricanes academy — economical, wicket-taking, and achieved against batters raised on pace. It is the same shape as his Season 3 so far: not the bowler who takes three wickets in a match, but the bowler who never lets the other side get away.
Shahab Alam's NPL 2026 numbers
Batting: 4 not out in one innings. Bowling: 3 wickets in four matches, 15 overs, economy 5.33. The tables below are current through Match 20.
| Matches | Runs | Balls | Highest | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | Average | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 | — | 0 |
| Matches | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Average | Best | Maidens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 15.0 | 80 | 3 | 5.33 | 26.67 | 1/13 | 0 |
The economy rate is the number that matters. At 5.33 runs an over, Alam concedes more than two runs an over fewer than the captain Karan KC (7.41) and more than one fewer than Santosh Yadav (5.83). In a format where the middle overs decide matches, a spinner who goes at 5.33 while taking a wicket every five overs is the bowler who lets the rest of the attack hunt.
The batting is a footnote: 4 not out off six balls in the opener against Janakpur, when Kathmandu were bowled out for 115 and Alam was unbeaten at the end. He is a right-hand batter, but the bat is not why he is in the side — and in four of the five matches, he has not needed it.
Four spells — one wicket in three of them
Match 5, 29 October, vs Janakpur Bolts — 4 not out off 6 balls, 0 for 18 in 3 overs. The only defeat, and the only match in which Alam did not take a wicket. Kathmandu were bowled out for 115 — Alam unbeaten on 4 at the end — and Janakpur chased 116 with eight wickets to spare. Match 10, 2 November, vs Karnali Yaks — 1 for 31 in 4 overs. His most expensive spell, in the highest-scoring match of Kathmandu's season. Karnali made 180 for 6, and Alam's wicket was one of the six. Kathmandu chased it down to win by four wickets. Match 15, 5 November, vs Biratnagar Kings — 1 for 13 in 4 overs. His best figures, in the most one-sided match of the season. Biratnagar were bowled out for 83, and Alam's four overs cost 13 runs with a wicket. Kathmandu won by nine wickets in 9.4 overs. Match 18, 7 November, vs Lumbini Lions — 1 for 18 in 4 overs. The same shape again: four overs, one wicket, under five an over, in a 36-run win. Lumbini were bowled out for 124 chasing 161. Alam did not bowl in the Chitwan win on 9 November — the captain went with Karan KC, Santosh Yadav and Sahan Arachchige instead.The spinner in the table-toppers' attack
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 spin attack is built on two left-armers: Alam, the classical flight-and-turn bowler, and the 19-year-old Santosh Yadav, whose left-arm orthodox has taken 6 wickets in four matches.
The two complement each other. Yadav is the wicket-taker — a wicket every 12 balls. Alam is the controller — 5.33 runs an over, the best economy in the side. Together they have bowled 27 overs in the season for 9 wickets and 150 runs, and the captain has used them in every match that mattered. With David Warner gone home and two league matches left, the bowling that wins the run-in will be the bowling that has won the season so far. SialTV will update this page after every Kathmandu match, through the final on 21 November.
More Kathmandu Gorkhas coverage
Kathmandu Gorkhas · NPL Schedule · NPL Points Table · NPL Results · Nepal Premier League
Frequently asked questions
What kind of bowler is Shahab Alam?
He bowls slow left-arm orthodox — flight, drift and turn, the classical spinner's toolkit. He tosses the ball up, invites the drive, and beats batters in the air as much as off the pitch. He bats right-handed, though the bat is not why he is in the side.
How many wickets has Shahab Alam taken in NPL 2026?
Three wickets in four matches, at an average of 26.67 and an economy rate of 5.33 — the most economical bowling in the Kathmandu side. His best figures are 1 for 13 against Biratnagar Kings, and he has taken a wicket in three of his four matches.
What is Shahab Alam's best performance before the NPL?
The template performance in his record is 2 for 17 against the Hobart Hurricanes academy on the Darwin tour — economical, wicket-taking, and achieved against batters raised on pace. It is the same shape as his Season 3 so far.