Nepal, Oct. 25 -- The third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), organised by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), begins today. Alongside the crowds and the cricket, the police are bracing for less visible threats. Last year, police arrested several Indian nationals on charges of facilitating betting during the tournament, reviving concerns about match-fixing networks targeting Nepali cricket. The problem is hardly new: the inaugural Nepal T20 League in 2023 was dragged into scandal when two cricketers were arrested over match-fixing and spot-fixing, and a later police investigation named a dozen suspects.

Against that backdrop, the Kathmandu District Police Range has drawn up a more elaborate security plan than in previous yea...