Ariful will become the second Bangladeshi cricketer to join Karnali Yaks for the upcoming season, following wicketkeeper-batter Akbar Ali.
Ariful could not make much of an impact with the bat against Malaysia last August. However, he came into his own during the Top End T20 Series in Australia.
Playing for Bangladesh High Performance, the right-handed batter scored 219 runs in seven matches at an average of 36.50 and a strike rate of 138.60. He also hit two half-centuries with his aggressive batting and finished as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer.
Following that impressive performance, Ariful earned a place in the NPL. It will be his first experience playing in a franchise tournament outside Bangladesh. He has yet to feature in any overseas franchise league apart from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
In the last BPL, Ariful scored 76 runs in four matches for Sylhet Strikers. Overall, he has scored 427 runs in 17 T20 matches so far.
Shakib Al Hasan will also feature in the NPL, with Pokhara Avengers signing the Bangladesh star all-rounder, while Jishan Alam also joined Biratnagar Kings for the tournament.
As a result, four Bangladeshi cricketers have now been confirmed for the tournament, while reports suggest another one or two could also get opportunities.
The NPL is scheduled to begin on November 17, with the final set for December 13. All matches will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.
The third edition of the NPL is scheduled to get underway on October 26 and continue until November 21.
