Kirtipur, Nov 30: The opening match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground highlighted Nepali cricket fans’ passion but also exposed significant shortcomings in crowd management by the organizers.

A lack of proper entry arrangements led to large crowds, stone-pelting incidents, sloganeering, and police lathi charges, resulting in injuries. Those injured include Sushil Akulia, Ajay Tamang, Shishir Gautam, Shankar Acharya, Dan Bahadur Raut, Keshav Megi, and Prem Khadgi, who were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Spectators expressed frustration at the disorganized management, with even ticket holders struggling to enter through the south entrance. The lack of orderly queues forced security personnel to block access, leading to further chaos. Crowds at the southeastern entrance chanted slogans demanding ticket refunds when denied entry, escalating into clashes and stone-pelting.

Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) spokesperson Chhumbi Lama acknowledged the issues, attributing them to spectators crowding the main gate simultaneously and others attempting to watch the game from outside the stadium.

“There were complaints that some ticket holders were denied entry due to overcrowding. We are coordinating with the ticketing partner (Khalti) to verify and decide whether to refund these spectators or provide tickets for the next match,” said Lama.