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Sharad Vesawkar

Nepalese Cricketers 01
Nepalese Cricketers 01 Image: Wikimedia Commons. Krish Dulal / CC BY-SA 3.0

Sharad Vesawkar (Nepali: शरद भेष्वाकर; born 6 October 1988) is a Nepalese professional cricketer. A right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm off break bowler, he has been a long-serving member of the Nepal national cricket team and a familiar figure across Nepal's domestic franchise tournaments.

Key facts

Full name Sharad Vesawkar
Born 6 October 1988
Nationality Nepalese
Batting Right-handed (middle order)
Bowling Right-arm off break
National team Nepal
National debut March 2004, against the United Arab Emirates
ODI debut August 2018, against the Netherlands (Nepal's first ODI)
Domestic teams APF Club, Sudur Pashchimanchal Academy, Panchakanya Tej, Bhairahawa Gladiators, Biratnagar Kings, Pokhara Paltan, Pokhara Avengers

Background

Vesawkar emerged through Nepal's age-group and domestic structures in the early 2000s, breaking into the senior national side as a teenager. He has since represented Nepal across multiple formats and tiers of associate cricket, and has been a regular in the country's principal domestic competitions, including the National League and the SPA Cup, where he turns out for the APF Club and Sudur Pashchimanchal Academy respectively.

International career

Vesawkar made his debut for Nepal against the United Arab Emirates in March 2004. Over the following years he became a fixture in Nepal's batting line-up during the country's progression through the various divisions of the ICC World Cricket League.

In February 2010, during the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five, he scored an unbeaten 105 off 134 balls against Fiji, becoming only the third Nepalese cricketer to score an international century.

He was part of the Nepal squad that played the country's first-ever One Day International, against the Netherlands in August 2018, after Nepal was granted ODI status by the International Cricket Council.

Domestic and franchise career

Vesawkar has captained several franchise sides across Nepal's expanding T20 circuit.

Everest Premier League

  • Captain of Panchakanya Tej in 2016.
  • Captain of Bhairahawa Gladiators from 2017 to 2021.

Dhangadhi Premier League

  • Led Biratnagar Kings to the final of the inaugural season in 2017.

Pokhara Premier League

  • Captained Pokhara Paltan in 2017 and 2018.
  • Won the inaugural Pokhara Premier League title with Pokhara Paltan in 2017.
  • Finished as runners-up in 2018.

Nepal T20 League

  • Captained Pokhara Avengers in the first season of the league.

Significance

Vesawkar's career mirrors Nepal's own cricketing rise from associate-level competition to ODI status. As one of only a handful of Nepalese batsmen to register an international century, and as a participant in the country's first ODI, he occupies a notable place in the chronology of Nepalese cricket. His captaincy across multiple domestic franchises has further established him as a senior leadership figure in the country's club game.

References