KATHMANDU: Former Australia opener David Warner has signed for Kathmandu Gorkhas ahead of Nepal Premier League Season 3, giving the tournament its most high-profile overseas signing to date.
The Gorkhas confirmed Warner's arrival through a personal video message on Tuesday following several days of clues and speculation on social media.
"I am really excited to be coming to Nepal and joining the Kathmandu Gorkhas squad," Warner said.
The 39-year-old acknowledged the difficult period experienced by many people in Nepal and expressed hope that the NPL could bring supporters joy and provide an occasion for communities to come together.
Warner said he had heard about the passion of Nepal's cricket supporters and was looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere, meeting his new teammates and playing in front of the Kathmandu crowd.
"Ayo Gorkhali!" he added at the end of his message.
12th Warriors, you manifested this!
Two-time ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup champion.
T20 World Cup champion and Player of the Tournament.
World Test Championship winner.
Triple centurion.
And the only player to win three IPL Orange Caps.
🔥
One of world cricket’s most… pic.twitter.com/zxTMyD2On2
— Kathmandu Gorkhas (@ktm_gorkhas) September 15, 2026
Kathmandu Gorkhas executive director Anubhav Swar Sirohiya said securing Warner had required months of discussions rather than an overnight agreement.
According to Sirohiya, patience and the development of trust among the parties involved were essential to completing the signing. He said the prospect of Warner representing Kathmandu at the TU International Cricket Ground made the lengthy process worthwhile.
The franchise had teased the signing through a series of cryptic social media posts. One featured the ODI and T20 World Cup trophies, while another displayed a necklace carrying Warner's familiar number 31.
Warner retired from international cricket in 2024 after representing Australia in 112 Tests, 161 ODIs and 110 T20 internationals. He accumulated 18,995 international runs and scored 49 centuries across the three formats.
He was part of Australia's ODI World Cup-winning squads in 2015 and 2023 and helped the country claim its first men’s T20 World Cup title in 2021. Warner was named Player of the Tournament in that T20 World Cup campaign and also featured in Australia’s 2023 World Test Championship triumph.
His franchise career includes appearances in the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, The Hundred, Major League Cricket, Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League.
Warner captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2016 IPL title and won the competition's Orange Cap in 2015, 2017 and 2019. He is the only batter to have scored at least 500 runs in seven different IPL seasons.
The left-hander has played more than 430 T20 matches and scored over 14,000 runs in the format, including 10 centuries.
His arrival gives Kathmandu an experienced and aggressive option at the top of the order while bringing considerable international attention to Nepal’s growing franchise competition.
Kathmandu have not disclosed the financial terms of Warner's contract or whether he will be available for the entire tournament.
Nepal Premier League Season 3 is scheduled to run from October 26 to November 21, 2026, with eight franchises competing for the title.
