Nepalese cricket player Kushal Bhurtel credits his family’s immense support, especially his father, to his cricket career prominence. After progressing through U-16 and U-19, he plays for the national side and has played in ODIs and T20Is.
Bhurtel is an opening batter for Nepal’s national cricket team. On the domestic side, he plays for Pokhara Avengers alongside Sagar Dhakal.
He made his List A debut against India in the Emerging Teams Cup in November 2019. Fast forward to 2021, he saw his T20I debut, where he was an opener due to the injury of then-captain Paras khadka.
In that T20I series, Kushal scored three consecutive 50s, becoming the first player in T20I history to do so.
Bhurtel saw his calling to the ODIs and debuted against Papua New Guinea in September 2021. Nepal won by two wickets, achieving the target of 135 runs.
The right-handed batsman’s attacking style and consistency have made him one of the team’s key players, especially under coach Monty Desai’s guidance.
He is also good at bowling (leg break googly style), having taken 19 wickets.
Key Takeaways:
What Is Kushal Burtel’s Age?
Born on January 22, 1997, in Butwal, Rupandehi, Nepal, Bhurtel is 27 years old. The right-handed Nepalese cricket batsman stands 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall.
Bhurtel Received Great Support From His Father: Meet His Family
Kushal is one of three children and the only son of his parents, Deepak Bhurtel and Durga Bhurtel. He has two siblings- an older sister, Anjana Bhurtel, and a younger sister, Khusi Bhurtel.
Growing up, he used to play football but later turned to cricket, driven by his father’s love for the sport.
In his interviews, Bhurtel often mentions how his family, especially his father, supported him through his cricket journey.
As reported, during the final exams of Grade 11, he was called to play in the NPL (Nepal Premier League). So, his dad, Deepak, suggested he drop the exams to pursue his dream.
“He used to tell me exams can be taken next year and ask me to concentrate on cricket. Without this kind of support, I’d have never made it. I’m extremely thankful for his constant motivation and support.”
Now, after all these years, it seems Khusal’s father was right about his son’s cricket potential.
In his interviews, his dad (Deepak) recalled a moment when he and his wife had tiffs- he would allow Kushal to pursue sports while his wife would emphasize education. Moreover, Deepak also added that he feels proud of his son’s achievements.
When off from cricket practices and games, Bhurtel loves to spend time with his family and shares adorable snaps on his Instagram.
What Is Kushal Bhurtel’s Relationship Status? Does He Have A Girlfriend?
Bhurtel’s fans shower him with queries about his relationship, though he has yet to answer any. So far, there are no records of him being married or talking about wedding plans.
In addition, the cricketer has no publicly revealed girlfriend. Some assume that Kushal is single, while others claim that he keeps his dating life a secret.
Kushal Bhurtel has gained a considerable fan following with his cricket career- he has over 95.8K followers on Instagram (@kushal_bhurtel14) and over 75K followers on Facebook.
He mainly shares posts of his cricket journey and family moments on his social profile.
More than love life, the Nepalese cricket star is focused on his career and honing his cricket skills.
Kushal’s Journey From U-16 To National Team
Passionate about sports, Kushal fell for cricket and began harnessing his skills with his father’s encouragement and support. Soon, after playing in local tournaments, his passion for cricket was shaped into a potential career.
By 14, Bhurtel secured his place in the regional U-16 team; he played in the ACC U-16 Elite Cup.
During the 2014 Nepal Premier League, he was named to the team Panchakanya Tej, which won the season title under Sharad Vesawkar’s captaincy. Other notable players in the team were Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, and Dipendra Singh Airee.
Then, in 2015, Bhurtel saw his first-ever U-19 national squad call-up after being selected for the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia (though he didn’t play in any games).
Later, Kushal was named in the reserve squad of Nepal’s national team for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
After that, the right-handed batsman played for the Nepal Police Club while serving in Nepal police.
It was not until 2019 that he was called to the senior national team for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh and made his List A debut against India.
Where Does Kushal Bhurtel Play Now?
Having played at Nepal Police Club, Bhurtel now represents Pokhara Avengers on the domestic side and plays for the Nepali national cricket team.
International Games And Achievements: ODI And T20I Stats
Kushal Bhurtel made his T20I debut on April 17, 2021, in the 2020–21 Nepal Tri-Nation Series against the Netherlands. Since Nepal’s then-captain Paras khadka was injured, Bhurtel got to open the match.
Nepal won over the Netherlands by nine wickets, with Bhurtel contributing 62 runs for 141 runs.
In the T20I series, he scored three consecutive 50s, becoming the first player in T20I history to achieve the feat. It made him a rising star and drew international attention to his skill as an opening batsman for Nepal.
Moreover, he was named ‘Man of the series’ after scoring 278 runs with an average of 69.50 (in five matches).
Then, on September 7, 2021, Bhurtel made his ODI debut against Papua New Guinea, where Nepal won by two wickets. He played alongside Aasif Sheikh, Gyanendra Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Rohit Poudel, and Kushal Malla.
Known for his attacking style and consistency, Kushal scored his maiden T20I century (scoring 104 runs) on February 19, 2022, during the ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifier against the Philippines.
Then, on February 13, 2023, he scored his first ODI century after scoring 115 runs against Namibia.
ODI And T20I Stats:
| Stats (Batting) | ODI | T20I |
| Matches Played | 54 | 53 |
| Total Runs | 1231 | 1298 |
| Highest Score | 115 | 104 |
| Average | 23.23 | 28.22 |
| Fours | 132 | 124 |
| Sixes | 26 | 56 |
Kushal Bhurtel is also skilled at bowling—he uses a right-arm leg-break style.
In 54 ODI matches, he bowled 15 innings and took 15 wickets, while in 53 T20I matches, he took 20 wickets in 14 innings.
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