Kathmandu: The third edition of the Koshi Pride League (KPL) cricket tournament is scheduled to take place in Sunsari from February 21 to March 5 next year.

The event to be organised by Koshi Pride Pvt Ltd will feature seven teams, said the organisers amidst a press conference on Sunday. Each team will include one national player as a marquee and one iconic player. The remaining players will be selected through an auction and divided into three categories—A, B and C.

Players in Category A must either be from the U-19 international age group or have played at least one international match. Category B players should have represented a district or province in national tournaments, while Category C players must have featured in district- or club-level competitions.

The seven franchise teams are Namuna Blasters, Itahari Adarsha Giants, Birtamod Hits, Purveli Super Kings, Everest Thunders, BN Koshi Arnas and Gorkha Avengers.

According to Chetnath Paudel, president of the Koshi Province Cricket Association of Nepal, the tournament aims to promote cricket in Koshi Province and help nurture emerging talent for the Nepal Premier League.