Sompal Kami (Nepali: सोमपाल कामी; born 2 February 1996) is a Nepalese professional cricketer. Kami is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-mediumbowler.[1] He is one of the eleven cricketers to play in Nepal's first ever One Day International (ODI) match, against the Netherlands, in August 2018. In January 2019, he became the first bowler for Nepal to take a five-wicket haul in an ODI.[2]
Early life
Originally from Gulmi in western Nepal, Sompal was raised in India after his father moved to Punjab along with his family. Sompal spent his childhood as an enthusiastic cricket lover. He played in various school-level tournaments. Most notable was his participation in the Indian Premier Corporate League where he was the captain. He returned to Nepal in 2013 and continued his cricket career. He is married to Prativa Ghimire.
Domestic and T20 franchise career
Sompal made his entry to Kathmandu Region No. 3 through the Nepali Cricket Fan Club. He was one of the key players of Kathmandu Region No. 3, which won the U-19 National Championship. He broke a record in the tournament by scoring two centuries and achieving the best bowling figures. Through this tournament, he impressed the Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake and was able to cement his place in the national squad.
In an unofficial tournament, Sagarmatha Cement Journey to World Cup tournament in December 2013 in Kathmandu, Sompal was the leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets in four matches.
Sompal picked up five wickets for 47 against Malaysia in the 2014 ACC Premier League in Malaysia, the best bowling figures of his career.[9] He took 15 wickets in total and was adjudged the tournament's best bowler.[10] During the 2014 Asian Games, Sompal took five wickets at an average of just 4 runs apiece and an exceptional economy rate of just 2.50.[11] He was the only Nepalese player to be chosen in the Select XI of the tournament by Asian Cricket Council.[12] He took 11 wickets in the 2014 ICC World Cricket League Division Three, which Nepal won.[10]
In the first Twenty20 International of Nepal's November 2014 series against Hong Kong (played in Sri Lanka), Sompal, batting tenth, scored 40 runs from 31 balls in Nepal's first innings of 72 all out, which included six fours and two sixes. He consequently set a new record in all Twenty20 matches for the highest score made by a number ten batsman, surpassing the previous figure of 37 runs set by Sri Lankan Pradeep Nishantha in 2007.[13] Sompal and Shakti Gauchan (5*) put on 43 runs for the ninth wicket, the fifth-best ninth-wicket partnership in Twenty20 Internationals.[14]
He was the leading Nepalese wicket-taker in the 2015 ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia. He picked up 11 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 19.18 and an economy of 4.00.[15] In February 2015, he went Sri Lanka after being recruited by Kalutura Physical Culture Club to play in the Emerging Trophy Tournament, three-day cricket tournament.[16] He played 5 matches and picked up 39 wickets in 8 innings. He took 6 wickets in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier at an average of 19.83 and an economy rate of 7.00.[17]
