New Teams Eager for Debut in Zimbabwe’s National Premier League games as they are hopefully that they will survive and experience the action packed cricket league which has become one of the most interesting and competitive league.
The fourth edition of Zimbabwe’s top-flight club competition, the National Premier League (NPL), is set to kick off mid-June with four teams making their debut. The first-time participants include Harare Metropolitan side Rangers, Strikers from Mashonaland East, Rimuka from Mashonaland West, and Knights from Masvingo.
These teams are among the 14 vying for the coveted silverware in the 2024/25 campaign. The line-up includes defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1, Takashinga Patriots 2, Gladiators, and Rangers from Harare Metropolitan, who secured their places directly from the province’s main league. Rainbow also qualified via the playoffs.
Bulawayo Metropolitan’s guaranteed berths were taken up by Amakhosi and Queens Sports Club, with Bulawayo Athletic Club joining them from the playoffs. Manicaland, Masvingo, and Midlands each had one spot, with Westside, Scorpions, and Mbizo earning direct qualification from those provinces respectively. Strikers, Knights, and Rimuka completed the line-up after coming through the playoffs.
The d’butan’ teams expressed excitement and anticipation for their first season in the country’s main club cricket competition. Rangers coach Gray Brent said, “We are very, very excited about getting a ticket to play in the NPL. It’s certainly a great privilege and honour.”
Rimuka coach Adam Chifo echoed the sentiment, stating, “We are very much excited about playing in the highest club league in the country. It is indeed a milestone for a small town like Kadoma.”
Strikers chairman Godfrey Kaswa highlighted the team’s hard work over the last five years, saying, “Qualifying for the NPL on its own is such a huge achievement.” Knights captain Joe Khoma shared his team’s goal for their inaugural season, “Top eight is our goal in our inaugural season. We have a plan to achieve this and we are setting ourselves small targets as our strategy for long-term growth.”
What is the National Premier League
The NPL is Zimbabwe Cricket’s top-flight club cricket competition that was launched in 2020 to reinvigorate the domestic scene of club cricket in the country. With its recent expansion, there is no doubt that this stands as the country’s foremost club cricket tournament, after Logan Cup, and it is a perfect hub for emerging cricket talent to shine, as they interact and compete against some of the top-performers in the country.
It gives youngsters the important opportunity to play in demanding competitive cricket against seasoned internationals, thereby improving the talent pool of cricketers in Zimbabwe.
This competition promises to be thrilling, and we all hope it yields the desired outcomes. It’s an opportunity for cricket enthusiasts to witness some exhilarating and competitive matches. But beyond the excitement, the tournament serves a greater purpose – nurturing talent. It provides a platform for players to progress through the appropriate pathways into various tiers of the national teams. This could potentially attract players back into the fold, thereby strengthening the system and ultimately leading to a formidable and competitive Chevrons team.
The current champions of the NPL are Takashinga Patriots 1, who won the title in 2023 after beating Gladiators by three wickets. It will be exciting this season to see whether or not they will defend their title.
For more visit
