NPL third edition match timings changed after DRS introduced

The starting times for matches in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) have been changed after it was decided that the Decision Review System (DRS) will be used in all matches.

This was stated in a press release issued on Tuesday signed by Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) secretary Paras Khadka. According to the new schedule, on days with two matches, the first match will still start at 12:30 pm, while the second match has been set for 5 pm.

On days with only one match, play will also begin at 5 pm. Under the earlier schedule, both the second match and single matches were set for 4:30 pm, which has now been pushed back by half an hour.

The Siddhartha Bank NPL will run from Kartik 9 (October 26) to November 21 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. The opening match will be between defending champions Lumbini Lions and runners-up Sudurpashchim Royals.

According to CAN, full three-dimensional ball-tracking technology will be used to review LBW decisions. The same system will also be used to review decisions related to run-outs and stumpings. Artificial intelligence-based technology will be used to detect whether the ball has touched the bat.

Secretary Khadka had earlier said that two companies had already tested the technology.