The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has officially unveiled its heavily revised central contract structure for the 2026 season. Aimed at providing greater financial security and motivating domestic talent, the newly announced payment framework introduces a historic, top-tier A+ Category for the men’s team and implements broad pay hikes across multiple performance brackets for both male and female national players.
Under the updated system, contracted athletes are divided into five distinct grading tiers, with monthly retainers scaling from Rs 25,000 up to Rs 150,000.
The New Structure and Grading Tier Breakdown
The biggest talking point of the 2026 revision is the debut of the A+ Category, exclusive to the men’s senior squad. National team skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel, explosive all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, and veteran leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane are the inaugural inductees into this elite tier, each commanding a monthly salary of Rs 150,000.
Meanwhile, Category A men’s players will maintain a monthly salary of Rs 100,000, whereas their female counterparts in Category A will take home Rs 55,000 per month.
Here is how the complete monthly payroll looks across the board:
Key Player Placements
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Men’s Grade A: Sompal Kami, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, and Karan KC.
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Women’s Grade A: Indu Barma (Captain), Puja Mahato, Rubina Chhetri, and Sita Rana Magar.
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Men’s Grade B: Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Aarif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Nandan Yadav, and Gulshan Kumar Jha.
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Women’s Grade B: Kabita Kunwar, Samjhana Khadka, and Manisha Upadhyaya.
Match Fees & Allowances Upgraded In tandem with the fixed retainers, CAN has established a uniform international match fee policy to supplement player earnings. Moving forward, both male and female cricketers will receive a performance match fee of Rs 15,000 per One Day International (ODI) and Rs 10,000 per Twenty20 International (T20I) appearance, ensuring that active matchdays add substantial value to their base contracts.