Angelo Mathews to Biratnagar, Shadley van Schalkwyk to Lumbini: NPL 2026 Signings

Just days before the opener, two more overseas names have landed.

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has joined Biratnagar Kings, and USA all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk has signed for Lumbini Lions. Republica reported both moves, with Lumbini announcing theirs on social media.

Mathews at Biratnagar

Mathews has done it all: Sri Lanka captain, IPL, Lanka Premier League. He is the kind of player who is at his best when a chase gets messy and everyone else is panicking. For a Biratnagar side coached by Kevin O'Brien and built around Sandeep Lamichhane's bowling, a calm head in the middle order makes a lot of sense.

Where exactly he bats and how much he bowls, we will find out in the first game.

Van Schalkwyk at Lumbini

This one is cleverer than it looks. Every NPL XI must include at least one player from an ICC Associate nation, and van Schalkwyk plays for the USA. So he does not just add an all-rounder, he helps Lumbini meet that rule while still using their overseas slots well. The Kathmandu Post explains the rule here.

Add him to Aasif Sheikh and the existing core, and the defending champions look properly deep. They open against Sudurpaschim on 26 October.

What to look out for

Late signings sometimes arrive a day or two before their first game, so do not panic if one of them misses an early match. The team sheet at the toss is the real answer.

Have a look at the Biratnagar Kings and Lumbini Lions squads.