Paras Khadka
- Date of Birth 1987-10-24
- Role allrounder
- Batting Style right-hand bat
- Bowling Style right-arm medium-fast
Debut Matches
| Format | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ODI | NED vs NEP | 2018-08-01 |
| T20 | NEP vs HKG | 2014-03-16 |
| TEST | MAS vs NEP | 2004-04-23 |
Recent Performances
Batting Statistics
Matches
10
Innings
10
Runs
315
Average
35
Strike Rate
79.14
Highest Score
115
100s
1
50s
1
Fours
40
Sixes
5
Catches
7
Bowling Statistics
Matches
10
Innings
9
Wickets
9
Average
27
Economy
3.91
Strike Rate
41.3
Best Figure
4/26
4 Wickets
1
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
372
Runs Conceded
243
Batting Statistics
Matches
33
Innings
32
Runs
799
Average
27.55
Strike Rate
128.04
Highest Score
106*
100s
1
50s
4
Fours
82
Sixes
26
Catches
16
Bowling Statistics
Matches
33
Innings
26
Wickets
8
Average
45
Economy
6.2
Strike Rate
43.5
Best Figure
2/11
4 Wickets
0
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
348
Runs Conceded
360
Batting Statistics
Matches
44
Innings
44
Runs
1497
Average
35.64
Strike Rate
79.45
Highest Score
115
100s
3
50s
9
Fours
146
Sixes
40
Catches
18
Bowling Statistics
Matches
44
Innings
36
Wickets
26
Average
35.23
Economy
3.84
Strike Rate
54.9
Best Figure
4/26
4 Wickets
1
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
1428
Runs Conceded
916
Batting Statistics
Matches
56
Innings
52
Runs
1317
Average
30.62
Strike Rate
124.71
Highest Score
106*
100s
1
50s
8
Fours
120
Sixes
40
Catches
26
Bowling Statistics
Matches
56
Innings
49
Wickets
28
Average
26.89
Economy
5.96
Strike Rate
27
Best Figure
3/22
4 Wickets
0
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
757
Runs Conceded
753
A titan of not just Nepal but the entire Associate world, few people have had a greater impact on their country's fortunes on the cricket field than Paras Khadka. Literally and figuratively, he was a giant for his nation: the tallest with the broadest shoulders, more often than not the top-scorer and at times the leading wicket-taker too whether with his medium pace or his offspin. In terms of his domestic popularity, he was often described as Nepal's version of Sachin Tendulkar but his skillset was much more in line with Garry Sobers.
Making his U-19 debut as a 15-year-old and his senior team debut as a 16-year-old in 2004, he was earmarked early on as a long-term player for the future and by 2009, he had been made senior team captain. His tenure marked the start of Nepal's steady rise up the global rankings, from Division Five of the World Cricket League to a maiden berth in the T20 World Cup in 2014 - where they scored victories over both Afghanistan and Hong Kong - before eventually attaining ODI status in 2018.
Khadka played a total of 250 times for the senior team, and though his List A record of 1497 runs in 44 matches at an average of 35 may seem modest, Khadka's contributions often made the difference between Nepal reaching 250 or being bowled out for less than half of that. Because the talent surrounding him was threadbare, he regularly had to harness his naturally dynamic arsenal of strokes and instead focus on anchoring the innings. He was not just the spine of the Nepal batting order, but the brain, heart and all of the limbs too.
It meant that for the majority of his career, Nepal's chances of victory came down to his individual performances: whether that was with the bat, opening the bowling with medium pace, or contributing with offspin later on. For this, he was always held in the highest esteem by any opposition captain. Perhaps no greater embodiment of what he could do as a grafting matchwinner came in Nepal's first ODI victory, at Amstelveen against the Netherlands, in August 2018: scoring 51, then taking 1 for 24 at the death as well as a runout off his own bowling ripping the stumps out to secure the final wicket in a one-run win.
The only thing missing from Khadka's resume is a stint in major franchise cricket. His jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none skillset never caught the attention of bidders from the big money T20 leagues. As a result, he never got the acclaim he deserved outside of Nepal compared to his mythical status within the country. However, his influential role in paving the way for the next generation of players - like Sandeep Lamichhane - to reap those rewards cannot be overstated.
After nearly a decade in charge and just over a year after he helped his country secure ODI status, he stepped down from the Nepal captaincy in October 2019. He only played 12 more matches for Nepal, his career ending in somewhat anonymous fashion in a T20I against Thailand in Bangkok in March 2020. After having to sit out with an injury for Nepal's first action since the start of the Covid pandemic - a tri-series at home against Malaysia and the Netherlands in April 2021 - Khadka called time on his career in August 2021.
Peter Della Penna
Peter Della Penna