Nepal national cricket team

This article is about the Men's team. For the Women's team, see Nepal women's national cricket team.

The Nepal men's national cricket team (Nepali: नेपाल पुरुष राष्ट्रिय क्रिकेट टोली) represents Nepal in men's International cricket and is governed by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). They have been a Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1996. Nepal were awarded Twenty20 International (T20I) status by the ICC in June 2014 until the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier and earned One Day International (ODI) status in 2018.

Nepal

Nickname(s)	Rhinos, Gorkhalis
Association	Cricket Association of Nepal
Personnel
One Day captain	Rohit Paudel
T20I captain	Rohit Paudel
Coach	Monty Desai
International Cricket Council
ICC status	Associate member with ODI status (2018)
ICC region	ACC
ICC Rankings Current Best-ever ODI 17th 14th (2 May 2019) T20I 17th 11th (2 May 2019)
One Day Internationals
First ODI	v Netherlands at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen; 1 August 2018
Last ODI	v Scotland at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas; 4 November 2024
ODIs Played Won/Lost Total 73 35/35 (1 tie, 2 no results) This year 14 5/8 (0 ties, 1 no result)
World Cup Qualifier appearances	3 (first in 2001)
Best result	8th (2018, 2023)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20I	v Hong Kong at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong; 16 March 2014
Last T20I	v United States at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas; 20 October 2024
T20Is Played Won/Lost Total 95 53/38 (2 ties, 2 no results) This year 25 11/12 (1 tie, 1 no results)
T20 World Cup appearances	2 (first in 2014)
Best result	First round (2014)
T20 World Cup Qualifier appearances	5 (first in 2012)
Best result	Runners-up (2023)
Official website	cricketnepal.org.np
ODI and T20I kit
As of 4 November 2024

Nepal has played 73 ODI matches, winning 35, losing 35, tying 1 and with 2 ending in a no-result. As of November 2024, Nepal is ranked 17th in the ICC ODI Championship on 26 rating points. Nepal has not qualified for any edition of the Cricket World Cup, however they have appeared in World Cup Qualifier 3 times.

The team has also played 95 Twenty20 International matches, winning 53, losing 38, tying 2 and with 2 ending in a no-result. As of November 2024, Nepal is ranked 17th in the ICC T20I Championship on 171 rating points. Nepal has appeared in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup twice in 2014 and 2024. They have also appeared in the Asia Cup in 2023 and Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and 2022.

History

Beginnings

According to the 1877 book, History of Nepal edited by Daniel Wright:

"Attempts have been made at various times by their tutors to get the young men to play cricket and other games, but such amusements are thought degrading".

Over time, cricket came to be considered a gentleman's sport, and involvement was limited mainly to the ruling Rana family and other members of the Nepali elite.

In 1946, the Cricket Association of Nepal was formed to promote cricket amongst the aristocracy. After the introduction of democracy through the Revolution of 1951, cricket began to spread to the rest of the population. In 1961, in an effort to promote cricket to the whole of Nepal, the Cricket Association of Nepal became part of the National Sports Council. Nevertheless, the National games tended to be limited to Kathmandu Valley until the 1980s.

ICC membership

Improvements to communications and transport infrastructure in Nepal allowed the game to expand outside Kathmandu in the 1980s and Nepal became an Affiliate Member of the International Cricket Council in 1988. A major development program was begun in the early 1990s, which saw regional and district tournaments being established and the increased promotion of cricket in schools.

The local population's interest in cricket increased quickly, and the demand to play was such that restrictions had to be placed on the number teams in several tournaments until more facilities could be built in the mid-1990s. Nepal became an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council on February 2, 1996, which was the year the national side played for the first time in the 1996 ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur.

By 1998, the facilities in Nepal had improved sufficiently to allow them to host that year's ACC Trophy at grounds in Lalitpur and Kirtipur (at TU Cricket Ground) and Kathmandu.

Currently, the country has one of the best fan followings among ICC Associate Members. It lost for three years its governing body, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) which was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to unnecessary government interference in 2016, but it was reinstated in October 2019.

21st century

2000 – 2009

In 2000, Nepal's youth development policy began to pay off when the Nepal national under-19 cricket team finished eighth in the Under-19 World Cup. The senior side had their best performance to date later in the year when they reached the semi-finals of the 2000 ACC Trophy before losing to Hong Kong at Sharjah. They competed in the ICC Trophy for the first time the following year. In the tournament in Ontario, they beat Germany and Gibraltar, but a loss to eventual runners-up Namibia prevented them from progressing past the first round.

Nepal were runners-up to the UAE in the 2002 ACC Trophy in Singapore and they hosted the ACC Emerging Nations Tournament in 2003, winning easily against Bhutan and the Maldives. They won so comprehensively that they were not invited back to the tournament the next time it was played in 2005. Raju Khadka became the first Nepalese cricketer to score an international century, when he slammed an unbeaten 105 off just 50 balls against Bhutan in the tournament.

Nepal played first-class cricket for the first time in 2004, playing in the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the UAE and Malaysia. They beat Malaysia, but drew with the UAE, failing to reach the semi-final stage. Nepal finished third in the 2004 ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament, which qualified them for the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup, and finished 5th in the 2004 ACC Trophy, which qualified them for the repêchage tournament of the 2005 ICC Trophy. They finished third in this tournament after beating Qatar in a play-off, meaning that they did not qualify for the 2005 ICC Trophy. Shakti Gauchan scored a century against Italy and stayed unbeaten on 106 off 103 balls in the tournament. They beat the UAE and drew with Hong Kong in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup, but missed out on qualification for the semi-finals by half a point. They were runners-up to the UAE in the 2005 ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament.

In March 2006, Nepal played Namibia in Windhoek in a play-off match to decide the final team in the 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup. Nepal needed to win outright to qualify for the main tournament, but the match was drawn after there was no play on the first day. Later in the year, they toured Pakistan, playing against the Pakistan Cricket Academy before playing in the 2006 ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur.

In the 2006 ACC Trophy, Nepal bowled Myanmar out for just runs 10 off 12.1 overs after winning the toss and sending Myanmar in; no batsman scored more than one, the innings included five ducks, and extras top scored with five (three leg byes and two wides). Mehboob Alam and Binod Das picked up seven and three wickets, respectively. In reply, Nepal hit three off the first ball, followed by three wides that went for five, and then hit another three from the second legitimate delivery to win by ten wickets. Some critics called it the greatest mismatch in the history of international cricket and the score of 10 is the lowest in any level of men's international cricket. They finished fourth in the tournament after losing to Afghanistan in a play-off. They won the ACC Premier League in 2006.

They played in the 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup in Kuwait, where they finished fourth in their first round group.

In May 2008, Nepal traveled to Jersey to play in 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Five of the World Cricket League. Mehboob Alam set the world record by taking all ten wickets in the match against Mozambique. He got his name in the Guinness World Records for becoming the first bowler to take all 10 wickets in an ICC international cricket match with limited overs. Nepal topped Group A after the group qualifying matches but lost to Afghanistan in the semi-final and finished third overall after defeating the USA in the playoff for third place. With only the top two from this tournament qualifying for 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four in Tanzania later in the year, Nepal missed out on the chance to take their 2011 World Cup dream any further. Later, Nepal appeared in the 2008 ACC Trophy Elite and finished fourth after losing to the UAE in the semi-final and to Afghanistan in the playoff for third place.

Nepal finished fifth in the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup after beating Singapore by 9 wickets in the playoff for fifth place. In a group match against Kuwait, Nepal needed 7 runs off the last ball to win. Binod Bhandari, making his debut for the national team, hit a last-ball six to tie the match. Eventually Nepal won the match in bowl-out.

2010 – 2014

Nepal won their first major tournament, beating USA in the final of 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five held at Kathmandu in February 2010. Sharad Vesawkar scored a century and stayed unbeaten on 105 off 134 balls against Fiji in the tournament. Nepal played very well in 2010 ACC Trophy Elite, winning all the matches in group stage and beating Malaysia in the semi-final by 8 runs but lost the final against an ODI team Afghanistan by 95 runs and finished runners-up. Nepal came third in 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four, thus remaining in Division Four for 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four. In November, Nepal appeared in 2010 Asian Games and lost against Sri Lanka in the quarter-final. It was the first match Nepal had played against a Full Member nation.

In December 2011, Nepal hosted the 2011 ACC Twenty20 Cup and finished fourth, thereby qualifying for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Nepal faced Afghanistan in the 3 match T20I series and 5 match ODI series at the start of 2012 but Afghanistan defeated Nepal 3-0 in the T20I series and again defeated Nepal 5-0 in the ODI series.

Nepal finished seventh in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier after defeating Kenya and Papua New Guinea in play-offs. Shakti Gauchan took the first international hat-trick for Nepal against Denmark in the tournament. In September 2012, Nepal appeared in 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four, where Subash Khakurel and Anil Mandal both scored century. Subash Khakurel scored 115 off 142 balls against United States and Anil Mandal scored 113 off 134 balls against Denmark. In a match against Malaysia, Shakti Gauchan set up Nepal's convincing victory with a new record. The left-arm orthodox spinner's figures of 10–8–2–3 is the best economical bowling spell ever in limited over encounters. Nepal won all the six matches of the tournament and progressed to 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three. Nepalese players won man of the match awards in all the six matches Nepal played and Basanta Regmi won the player of the tournament award after taking a total of 21 wickets in the tournament. In October, Nepal competed in 2012 ACC Trophy Elite and had to share the trophy with the UAE after a thrilling tied final in Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE on 12 October 2012. UAE posted 241, a target that looked in Nepal's sight after their 94-run opening stand. However, they lost wickets consistently, and eventually needed 12 off the last over with just two wickets in hand. Shakti Gauchan smacked Shadeep Silva's left-arm for a six, but could manage only one run off the last ball, hence ending a splendid final match in a tie. Skipper Paras Khadka scored an unbeaten 106 off just 77 balls against Kuwait, his maiden century for Nepal, in the tournament.

Nepal cricket team during the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Bermuda

Nepal competed in 2013 ACC Twenty20 Cup held at home grounds in Kirtipur and Lalitpur. Nepal easily marched towards the final of the tournament with high class performance from their captain, Paras Khadka, and the team thrashed the UAE by 6 wickets. Nepal had earlier qualified for 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, reaching the semi-final of the tournament. Nepal had to be satisfied with runners-up status after losing to an ODI team Afghanistan by 7 wickets. The Nepalese team was supported by a huge fan following throughout this tournament with an average turnout of 15,000 – 20,000 (about 25,000 in the semi-final and final) during their matches while hundreds of thousands watched live on television – undoubtedly the largest public support outside the Test-playing nations. Nepal won the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three held in Bermuda and qualified for the 2014 World Cup Qualifier. Nepal also played in 2013 ACC Emerging Teams Cup, where under-23 age level teams of the four Test nations – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka took part along with the UAE, Afghanistan and the hosts Singapore. Nepal finished third in 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier held in UAE and qualified for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, defeating Hong Kong off the last ball of the thrilling quarter-final.

T20I status and series

On 28 June 2014, the ICC awarded T20I status to Nepal, who took part and performed exceptionally well in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Nepal had already played three T20I matches before gaining the status, as the ICC had earlier announced that all matches at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 would have T20I status.

16 March (D/N)

Nepal 149/8 (20 overs)	v	Hong Kong 69 (17 overs)
Gyanendra Malla 48 (41) Haseeb Amjad 3/25 (4 overs)		Babar Hayat 20 (25) Shakti Gauchan 3/9 (4 overs)

Nepal won by 80 runs Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong

• First ever T20I match for Nepal

Nepal lost the status in July 2015, after failing to qualify for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20.

Captain Paras Khadka batting during the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three

Nepal fans in Bermuda during the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three

Nepal played their first ever Twenty20 International series against Hong Kong in November 2014 in Sri Lanka. Initially the series was scheduled for three matches but only one match was played because of continuous rain and poor ground conditions. Nepal lost the match but Sompal Kami put in impressive performance by scoring 40 off 31 balls, coming in at No. 10. This was the world-record for the highest score made by a batsman at that position.

Nepal played their second Twenty20 International series against the Netherlands from 30 June to 3 July 2015. Nepal lost the 4 match series 3–1. Paras Khadka was named the player of the series.

Nepal missed out on qualification for the 2015 World Cup, finishing ninth in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand in January. Nepal were the best of the three associate teams on display in Group A of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. They comprehensively beat Hong Kong, held their own with the bat against Bangladesh and pulled off a strong win against Afghanistan, their first since 2004 in any format against their old rivals. Nepal's bowlers did not bowl a single wide or no ball throughout the tournament. Nepal were also the only team to not concede 140 in an innings in the tournament. Nepal finished third in the 2014 ACC Premier League, where they beat ODI teams UAE and Hong Kong, and qualified for the 2014 ACC Championship. In September, Nepal participated in the 2014 Asian Games but failed to qualify beyond quarter-finals. Nepal won the 2014 ICC World Cricket League Division Three held in Malaysia and qualified for the 2015 ICC World Cricket League Division Two. Gyanendra Malla scored his maiden century, 114 off 125 balls, against Singapore in the tournament. In November, Nepal toured Sri Lanka, as Sri Lanka Cricket approved a request from the Asian Cricket Council to support the region's Non-Test playing countries, where they played two three-day matches against Sri Lanka Cricket Combined XI. and a Twenty20 International series against Hong Kong.

2015 – 2019

Nepal finished fourth in the 2015 ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia and qualified for the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship. But Nepal failed to secure promotion to Division One and qualification to 2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup after finishing third in the round-robin stage. Basanta Regmi became the first bowler to take 100 wickets in the World Cricket League. He achieved this feat after taking 2 wickets against Netherlands in the tournament. On 11 April 2015, Nepal hosted a 63-over (31.3 overs per side) tribute match in honour of the Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes who was batting on 63 when he was struck by a bouncer. The match was played at the TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur between Team Red, combined of players of Nepal and Australia and Team Blue, composed of all Nepalese players. In June, Nepal toured Netherlands to play a Twenty20 International series against the home team. Then Nepal appeared in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier held in Ireland and Scotland, where the team finished seventh in the Group A, thus failing to qualify for the second consecutive ICC World Twenty20.

Nepal finished second in 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two to earn a place in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. On 15 March, Nepal claimed One Day International (ODI) status for the first time with their win over Papua New Guinea in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier 9th place play off encounter. Due to gaining ODI status, Nepal also regained Twenty20 International (T20I) status. After gaining ODI status, Nepal's captain at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Paras Khadka, said that they want to gain Test status, which he believes will take between eight and ten years to achieve.

1 August 2018 11:00 Scorecard

Netherlands 189 (47.4 overs)	v	Nepal 134 (41.5 overs)
Michael Rippon 51 (76) Paras Khadka 4/26 (10 overs)		Gyanendra Malla 51 (61) Pieter Seelaar 3/20 (9 overs)

Netherlands won by 55 runs VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen Umpires: Rizwan Akram (Ned) and Sarika Prasad (Sin) Player of the match: Michael Rippon (Ned)

• Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat.
• First ever ODI match for Nepal

Nepal played their first 3 match ODI series against UAE and won 2–1, their first ODI series win. Paras Khadka became the first batsman to score an ODI century for Nepal. Sundeep Jora became the world's youngest player to score a half-century in T20I format, at the age of 17 years and 103 days. In October 2019, the Cricket Association of Nepal, which was suspended in 2016, was readmitted as an ICC member.

2020 – 2022

Nepal hosted United States and Oman in the fifth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 in February 2020. Nepal won 2 games (1 each) out of 4 in the series. In the last match of the series, Nepal bowled out the United States for the joint-lowest total of 35 in ODI cricket. Kushal Malla (Nep) made his ODI debut, and at the age of 15 years and 340 days, he became the youngest male cricketer to score an international half-century while playing against the USA on February 8, 2020.

Nepal hosted the Netherlands and Malaysia in the 2020–21 Nepal Tri-Nation Series in April 2021. Nepal finished top in the points table winning three out of four group matches and qualified for the final, where they played against the Netherlands. Nepal comprehensively beat the Netherlands by 142 runs and won the series. Kushal Bhurtel, making his debut for Nepal, scored 278 runs in the series at an average of 69.50 and a strike rate of 140.40 and won the Player of the series award.

Nepal toured Oman in September 2021, to play two ODI matches against PNG. They won both matches comfortably, showcasing their skills and determination on the cricket field. In the first ODI, Nepal won by two wickets with 63 balls remaining. Sandeep Lamichhane won the man of the match award for his impressive bowling attack of 4/35 in his 10 overs, while Rohit Paudel scored the highest for Nepal with a steady knock of 41 off 65. In the second ODI, Nepal won by a whopping 151 runs with Sandeep Lamichhane again winning the man of the match award for his exceptional bowling of 6/11 in 5.1 overs. Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Bikram Sob made ODI debut for Nepal in this series. The second ODI was the day/night match of the series.

Nepal then played 4 back-to-back day/night ODI in September 2021 against USA and Oman. it was the sixth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. In the first match against the US, Kushal Bhurtel won the man of the match award with his score of 84 off 93 and 3 catches, helped Nepal beat USA by 5 wickets with 6 balls remaining. Nepal lost its second game of the series with Oman by 5 wickets even though Aasif Sheikh scored 90 off 112 in this match. Nepal lost its third game of the series as well, this time against the US by 6 wickets. Gulsan Jha made his ODI debut in the match. Nepal won its last match of the series against Oman by 7 wickets with 190 balls remaining. Karan Kc won the man of the match in the game for his bowling spell of 4/25.

In march of 2022, Nepal toured UAE for the seventh round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 to play 2 games each against UAE and PNG. In the first match of the series against PNG, Nepal won by 2 wickets with 4 balls remaining. Rohit Paudel was the man of the match for his 60 off 83 balls. Sagar Dhakal made his ODI debut in the game. Nepal lost both of their 2nd and 3rd game against UAE by 48 and 99 runs respectively Nepal won its 4th game of the series against PNG by 7 wickets with 78 balls remaining. Aarif Sheikh was the man of the match for his all-round performance of 59* off 102 and 1/21 in his 10 overs.

Nepal toured the United States for the eighth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 to play 2 games each against United States and Oman. In the first match of the series against Oman, Nepal lost by 13 runs despite the 5 wickets haul by Karan KC (5–38 in 10 overs). Sunil Dhamala made an ODI debut in this match. The second match against the USA was declared tied as both teams could not surpass 274 runs in the given 50 overs each. Dev Khanal made his half-century whereas Mohammad Aadil Alam made his ODI debut and took 3 wickets for the team. Nepal won its 3rd game with wide margin against Oman by 7 wickets with 101 balls remaining. Karan KC was the man of the match for his 5/33 in 9 overs whereas Aasif Sheikh(62) and Kushal Bhurtel(56) scored half-centuries and Sandeep Lamichhane got 3 wickets in the match. Nepal lost its last game of the series against the US by 39 runs despite Karan KC's 3-wicket-haul and Aarif Sheikh's 63 runs with the bat.

Nepal then travelled to the Scotland for the ninth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 to play 2 games each against Scotland and Namibia in July 2022. Nepal lost its first game of the series against Namibia by 40 runs. Spinner Sandeep Lamichhane took 4 wickets and Aarif Sheikh scored 50 runs in the match. Basir Ahamad made an ODI debut for Nepal(Cap 33). Nepal beat the Scotland in the next game by 5 wickets with 149 balls remaining. Aasif Sheikh was the player of the match with his score of 71 off 62 balls whereas bowlers Sompal Kami and Mohammad Aadil Alam took 3 wickets each. The next game was against Namibia which they lost again by 63 runsSandeep Lamichhane's 4-wicket haul. Nepal lost its last game against the host Scotland as well by 8 wickets with 186 balls remaining. Fast Bowler Kishore Mahato made his ODI debut in the game(Cap 34).

In between the league 2 ODI games, Nepal toured Kenya to play 5 T20I against the host Kenya in August 2022. Nepal won the first game by 5 wickets with 4 balls remaining. Sompal Kami was the man of the match for his bowling spell of 3/22 in 4 overs. Kenya won the second T20I by 18 runs Basir Ahamad made T20I debut for Nepal in that match. Nepal won the third T20I by 4 wickets with 3 balls remaining. Gyanendra Malla was the player of the match for his 46 off 41 balls. Arjun Saud made T20I debut for Nepal in this match. Nepal lost the fourth match of the series by 7 runs despite Sandeep Lamichhane's maiden 5-wicket haul in T20I. Nepal won its final game of the series by 31 runs. Gyanendra Malla won the man of the match award for his knock of 59 off 44 balls. With the win, Nepal won the series 3-2 and Sandeep Lamichhane was named player of the series for his 12 wickets in 5 games.

The next tour was in December 2022 where Nepal travelled to Namibia for the tenth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 to play 2 games each against Scotland and Namibia. The first game was declared no-result due to rain. Gyanendra Malla scored 75 off 94 balls for Nepal in the match and Opener Arjun Saud made his ODI debut for Nepal(Cap 35). In the second game, Nepal lost with Scotland by 3 wickets and 107 balls remaining. In the third game, Nepal lost against Namibia by 86 runs. Spinner Lalit Rajbanshi took 4 wickets in the game. In the fourth game of the series against Scotland, Nepal was all out for 119 runs in 36th over and lost the game pretty marginally by 8 wickets with 198 balls remaining.

2023 - Present

In early February 2023, just before the home series against the table-topper Scotland and table-third ranked Namibia, Nepal hired Monty Desai as the head coach of the national team. In mid-February of that year, Nepal hosted a 4 match ODI series for the eleventh round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 to play 2 matches each against Namibia and Scotland at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Nepal played its first match against Namibia winning by 2 wickets with 14 balls remaining. Kushal Bhurtel was the player of the match for his maiden ODI century (115 off 113). Captain Rohit Paudel also scored 72 off 76 and bowlers Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane took 5 and 3 wickets respectively. Nepal won its second game of the series against Scotland by 3 wickets with 18 balls remaining. All-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee was the player of the match for his all-round performance of 85 not out of 116 balls and 1 for 25 in 5 overs. Kushal Malla also scored a rapid 81 off 67 balls and bowler Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 wickets in the match. Nepal won its third game of the series as well at home soil against Namibia, winning by 3 wickets with 15 balls remaining. Opener Aasif Sheikh won the player of the match award for his exceptional batting display of 81 off 98 balls. Gyanendra Malla and Kushal Malla also scored half centuries scoring 65 and 62 runs respectively. On the bowling side, leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 wickets in the match. The last match of the home-series was against Scotland which Nepal won again by beating the table-topper Scotland by 2 wickets with 35 balls remaining. Captain Rohit Paudel won the player of the match award for his critical contribution of 95 runs in 101 balls. Bowlers Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC took 4 and 3 wickets each. Karan KC's death over batting (31 of 37) partnership with Rohit for the ninth wicket was vital for the team's result.

In late February, soon after the home series, national team travelled to Dubai for the 4 match ODI series against the United Arab Emirates and the Papua New Guinea. It was for the twelfth round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. Nepal beat PNG in the first match by 4 wickets with 28 balls remaining. Kushal Bhurtel was the man of the match for his 56 off 69. Fast bowler Gulsan Jha took 3 wickets and his duo-fast bowler Pratis GC made an ODI debut for Nepal (Cap 37). Spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was not in the playing 11 in the match as he was waiting for the supreme-court's decision to allow him to leave the country. The next match was against the home side UAE. Sandeep was allowed to travel to UAE where he joins the team in replacement for the injured Mousom Dhakal to play against the home side. Despite his 3 wickets haul, and batting of 26* of 24, Nepal lost its match by 68 runs. Kushal Malla also scored a rapid-fire half-century (60 off 53) in the match. Nepal beat PNG by 3 wickets with 12 balls remaining in the third match of the series. Aasif Sheikh was the player of the match for his batting knock of 86* of 130 balls. Sandeep Lamichhane's unbroken 50 run partnership with Aasif Sheikh for the eighth wicket was crucial in the match. Nepal beat UAE by 42 runs in the final match of the series. Bhim Sharki won the player of the match for his 70 runs of 99 balls. Bowlers Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee took 3 wickets in the match.

The thirteenth and final round of the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 was to be held in Nepal, between team Nepal, the UAE, and the PNG. Nepal played its first home match of the series against the PNG winning by 52 runs. In the match, Opener Aasif Sheikh scored his maiden ODI century scoring 110 runs a ball and won the player of the match award. Bowler Sandeep Lamichhane took 4 wickets in the game. Nepal won the second game as well beating UAE by massive 177 runs. Rohit Paudel won the man of the match for his crucial knock of 77 runs in 112 balls and spinner Lalit Rajbanshi took 5 wickets in the match. With this win, Nepal won 9 of their 10 games in the league 2 and regained the ODI status for next 5 years.

Nepal played its third game of the home series against the PNG. Nepal won the match by 9 wickets with 254 balls remaining. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was the man of the match for his third ODI 5-wicket haul for Nepal. Nepal bundled PNG for 95 runs and chased down the total in 7.4 overs, thanks to unbeaten knock of Aasif Sheikh's 21 ball 53* runs. With this win, Nepal now needed just a win in next match against the UAE to directly qualify for the World cup qualifiers 2023 to be held in Zimbabwe later in the year.

On March 16, 2023, Nepal played its final and must-win match against the UAE under the Bad light-affected game. Nepal won the match by 9 runs due to DLS method. Nepal had to chase down the highest total to be chased down by Nepali side in ODI, a massive target of 311 runs. Thanks to half-century contributions by Kushal Bhurtel(50), Bhim Sharki(67), Aarif Sheikh(52), and Gulsan Jha(50*), Nepal was 269/6 in 44 overs winning the match by 9 runs due to DLS method. With this win, Nepal finished 3rd out of 7 teams in the 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, and qualified automatically for the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe to be held in June 2023. It was Nepal's 11 must-win victories in the last 12 remaining games in the series to achieve the landmark.

On June 18, 2023, Nepal played their first ODI against a full member nation. This was the first match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Nepal faced Zimbabwe in the Harare Sports Club, Harare. Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to field first. Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh stitched the highest opening and overall partnership of 171 for Nepal in ODIs. Bhurtel top-scored with a score of 99 (95), Nepal posted a total of 290/8 in 50 overs. In the second innings, Sompal Kami and Gulshan Jha picked the wickets of the Zimbabwean openers. However, courtesy Craig Ervine and Sean Williams' centuries Zimbabwe defeated Nepal by 8 wickets.

18 June 2023 9:00 Scorecard

Nepal 290/8 (50.0 overs)	v	Zimbabwe 291/2 (44.1 overs)
Kushal Bhurtel 99 (95) Richard Ngarava 4/43 (9 overs)		Craig Ervine 121* (128) Sompal Kami 1/30 (5.3 overs)

Zimbabwe won by 8 wickets Harare Sports Club, Harare Umpires: Allahudien Paleker (SA) and Sam Nogajski (Aus) Player of the match: Craig Ervine (Zim)

• Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.
• First ever ODI match for Nepal against a test playing nation

2023 ACC Premier Cup

Nepal hosted 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup in April/May 2023. It was the final stage of qualification for the 2023 Asia Cup tournament. The 10 associate teams played the tournament in the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground and Mulpani International Cricket Ground hosting the matches. The winner of the tournament would qualify for the 2023 Asia Cup as well as the top three teams would also qualify for the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

Nepal started the tournament with the win against Malaysia winning by 6 wickets with 82 balls remaining. Kushal Malla was the man of the match for his rapid-fire half-century, scoring 77* off 40. Bhim Sharki also scored 71 off 98 whereas bowlers Sandeep Lamichhane and Sompal Kami took 3 wickets each.

Nepal played its second game against Oman at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. It was the only ODI game for Nepal in the group stage. It was also the 50th One day international match for Nepal. Kushal Malla was the player of the match again for his maiden century in the ODI, scoring 108 off 64 balls. It was also the fastest ODI century by Nepali batsmen, scoring century in just 59 balls. Nepal batted first and asked Oman to chase down the highest totals Nepal had ever scored- a massive total of 310 runs. Nepal won the match by 84 runs. Sompal Kami also scored his second ODI half century in the match scoring 63* off 48 balls, whereas bowlers Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 wickets each. With the first wicket of the match for Sandeep, He broke the record of Rashid Khan to take fastest 100 wickets in ODI in terms of number of matches played- 42 matches, previous record was 44 matches.

The third match against Saudi Arabia at Mulpani International Cricket Ground was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain interruption.

The last group stage match was against Qatar. Nepal won the match by 68 runs. Sandeep Lamichhane won the player of the match for his all-round performance of 42* off 58 and a bowling spell of 5/14 in 9.1 overs. Sompal Kami also took 3 wickets in the match. With the win, Nepal finished the group stage as the table topper and advanced to Semi-final to play against Kuwait.

On 28 April, Nepal played its semi-final match against group B runner-up Kuwait. Kuwait won the toss and elected to field first. The match was reduced to 42 overs due to rain. Batting first, Nepal had scored 281/9 in 42 overs. Rohit Paudel (94 off 95) and Kushal Malla (57 off 44) scored half-centuries in the match. In response, Kuwait was 37/6 in 8.3 overs before the match was called off due to rain. Even though the match did not produce a clear winner, Nepal qualified for the final by virtue of being the top placed team from Group A.

Regardless of the final, Nepal had qualified for the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka in July 2023 by declaring a spot in the Finals.

Nepal played the finals against the United Arab Emirates at TU ground on May 1, 2023, Nepal won the toss and elected to bowl first. UAE was 9 down for 106 in 27.3 overs, before rain interrupted the day's play and the match postponed to the reserve day- the next day. Eventually, UAE got all-out on 117 and Nepal, despite losing three early wickets, won the game by 7 wickets courtesy to Gulsan Jha's 67 off 84 balls, his 2nd half century, and Bhim Sharki's 36 off 72 balls with the bat. In terms of bowling, Lalit Rajbanshi took 4 for 14, his 2nd 4-for in his 7.1 overs. Gulsan Jha won the Player of the match whereas Sandeep Lamichhane won the Player of the tournament.

The win in the Final guaranteed "The trip to Pakistan and Sri-Lanka" for the Nepali team to the 2023 Asia Cup for the first time to be held in September 2023 where they were to be playing against test giants India and Pakistan.

2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier

Following the tournament, Nepal travelled to Zimbabwe to play 2 warm-up matches prior to the main-event 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in June–July 2023. Nepal lost its first warm-up match against UAE by 3 wickets with 1 ball remaining but won the 2nd game against Oman.

Nepal played its first game of the tournament against the host Zimbabwe on June 18, 2023. It was Nepal's first ever ODI match against a full member team. Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field first. Batting first, Nepal scored 290/8 in 50 overs. Kushal Bhurtel scored 99 runs, missing a ton by 1 run and Aasif Sheikh scored 66 runs. Their partnership of 171 runs for the first wicket was the highest partnership for Nepal for any wickets at the time. Zimbabwe chased the target in 45th over and won the opening match of the tournament.

The second match was against USA. Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. Karan KC took 4 wickets 9 overs and Gulsan Jha took 3 wickets in 10 overs, restricting USA for 207 runs. In the match, wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh broke the record for most dismissals by wicketkeeper for Nepal in ODI going past Binod Bhandari's 22 dismissals. While chasing, Bhim Sharki played a brilliant inning of 77* to help win the match. Karan KC was the player of the match.

In the match against West Indies, Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. Lalit Rajbanshi took 3 wickets and west indies scored 339/7 in 50 overs. while chasing, Nepal was all out for 238 runs, Aarif Sheikh scored 63 runs. In the match, Aarif Sheikh and Gulsan Jha made 68 run partnership for 7th wicket, which was the highest partnership for Nepal in ODI for 7th wicket at the time.

Nepal played its last game in the group-stage against Netherlands. it was the must win game for both teams. Netherlands won the toss and elected to field first. Coming to bat first, Nepal was all out for 167 runs in 45th over. Netherlands chased the target comfortably in 28th over and won the match. On the other hand, with the loss, Nepal did not qualify for super 6 round of the tournament. Zimbabwe, Netherlands and West Indies were the teams to qualify from the group.

For the 7th place play-off semi-final, Nepal played against UAE, Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 wickets each, restricting UAE for 181 runs. Nepal chased down the total in 44th over and won the match. Dipendra Singh Airee won the player of the match by scoring unbeaten 79*. During the chase, the unbeaten partnership of Dipendra Singh Airee and Sandeep Lamichhane of 79* runs for the 8th wicket was the highest partnership for Nepal for 8th wicket in ODI.

Nepal played the last game of the tournament for the 7th place play-off final against Ireland. Ireland won the toss and elected to field first. With the help of Gulsan Jha's 57*, Nepal scored 268/9 in the first inning. Ireland chased down the total with 4 balls remaining. Karan KC took 4 wickets in the match. Following the result, Nepal finished the tournament 8th out of 10 in the competition.

2023 ACC Men's Emerging team Asia Cup

Nepal had qualified to play this tournament by winning the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup. It was a List-A tournament comprising 8 A-teams along with Nepal. Nepal played 3 games in the tournament against Pakistan-A, India-A, and UAE-A simultaneously. Nepal lost both of its game against the full nation and won the third game against UAE-A. Following the result, Nepal finished 3rd out of 4 teams in the group and thus did not qualify for the semi-finals. India-A and Pakistan-A were the teams to qualify for the semi-final from the group.

2023 Asia Cup

Nepal had qualified to play this year's edition of Asia cup by winning the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup held in Nepal earlier this year. Nepal was in the same group with the test giants India and Pakistan. Nepal played its first game of the tournament against Pakistan on August 30, 2023, at Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Pakistan scored a massive 342/6 in 50 overs. Nepal was all out for 104 runs within 24th over and lost the match by a huge margin of 238 runs. Sompal Kami had conceded the most 85 runs in 10 overs, which was the highest runs conceded by Nepali bowler in ODI at the time.

The second match was against India on September 4 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka. India won the toss and elected to field first. Nepal got all out for 230 runs in 49th over. Aasif Sheikh scored 58 runs in the match. In reply, India chased down the reduced total (due to rain interruption) of 145 runs in 23 overs without losing any wicket in 21st over and won the match. With the result, Nepal did not qualify for semi-final of the tournament. Pakistan and India were the teams to qualify from the group.

2023 Asian Games

Nepal then travelled to Huangzhou, China for the 2023 Asian games. It was the T20I tournament and the first T20I game for Nepal of the year. Nepal played its first game of the tournament against Mongolia, who were playing their first ever T20I match. Mongolia won the toss and elected to field first. Coming to bat first, Kushal Malla scored 137* in 50 balls, the highest score in T20I for Nepal, surpassing Dipendra Singh Airee's 110 against Malaysia. Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee also scored half centuries each scoring 61 and 52* simultaneously. Nepal ended up scoring a massive 314/3 in 20 overs, which was the highest team score by any team in T20I ever, surpassing Afghanistan's 278. Mongolia was 41 all-out in 14th over, thus Nepal won the match by 273 runs. In this match, several T20I records were broken. The 273 runs win margin was the highest win margin in term of run for Nepal surpassing previous 142 runs win margin record against the Netherlands. The 3rd wicket partnership of 193 runs between Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla broke the previous T20I record of 184 between Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips of New Zealand against West Indies. It was also the highest partnership for Nepal for any wicket surpassing previous record of 171 between Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee for the third wicket partnership against Philippines. Kushal Malla also broke the record for the most sixes in an innings for Nepal with 12 sixes breaking previous record of Paras Khadka's 9 sixes against Singapore. Kushal Malla also broke the record for the most runs scored in boundaries in an innings by scoring 104 runs via boundaries, he surpassed previous record of 82 runs by Paras Khadka against Singapore. Kushal Malla also broke the record for fastest hundred in T20I, scoring century in 34 balls, beating the previous record of 35 balls century by David Miller of South Africa, Rohit Sharma of India, and Sudesh Wickramasekara of Czech Republic. Dipendra Singh Airee also broke the record for fastest 50 in T20I, scoring half-century in 9 balls, beating the previous record of 12 balls by Yuvraj Singh of India.

Nepal played its second game of the tournament against Maldives. Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. Nepal scored 212/7 in 20 overs. Rohit Paudel scored 52 off 27 balls. In response, Maldives was all out for 74 with 2 balls to spear. Abinash Bohara bowled an impressive spell of 6/11 in 3.4 overs. The 70 runs partnership for the fifth wicket between Rohit Paudel and Gulsan Jha broke the previous record of 61 runs partnership between Binod Bhandari and Aarif Sheikh for the highest run partnership for the 5th wicket in T20I for Nepal. Dipendra Singh Airee also surpassed Gyanendra Malla's record for most matches in T20I going past Malla's 45.

With the win, Nepal reached the quarter-final of the tournament to play against India. India won the toss and elected to bat first. India scored 202/4 in 20 overs. In response, Nepal scored 179/9 in 20 overs. Thus, India won the match by 23 runs, and Nepal were knocked out of the tournament.

Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series

In Mid-October, right before the 2023 ICC Men's T20 World cup Asia Regional Final, Nepal hosted a triangular series against UAE and Hong Kong as a preparation for the main event to be held later that month. All of the group stage matches were to be played in Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Mulpani and the final were to take place in Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. It was also the first time a T20I match was played in Mulpani Cricket Stadium. The venue became 190th ground to host T20I match. Sandeep Lamichhane were to miss the series as he had pulled out of it stating to "revitalize myself" and "needed family time".

Nepal played its first game against the UAE on 18 October at Mulpani. Mousom Dhakal made his T20I debut for Nepal (cap 44). Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. UAE scored 140/7 in 20 overs and in response Nepal chased down the score in 18.5 overs losing 3 wickets. Karan KC took 3 wickets in the match. Rohit Paudel scored 51* and took 2 catches and won the player of the match award. The 93-run unbroken 4th wicket partnership between Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee broke the record for the highest partnership for 4th wicket for Nepal in T20I.

Nepal played its second game the next day against Hong Kong. Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. Hong Kong was all out for 94 runs in 19.3 overs. Karan KC took 4 wickets (4/15) in the game and was awarded player of the match. In response, Nepal chased down the total in 13.5 overs losing 4 wickets.

In the third game against Hong Kong, Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. Pratis GC made his T20I debut for Nepal (cap 45). Nepal scored 213/6 in 20 overs. Kushal Malla scored 92 in 41 balls and Dipendra Singh Airee scored 57 off 34 balls. In response, Hong Kong scored 134/8 in 20 overs, thus losing the game by 79 runs. Kushal Malla won the player of the match award. in the match, the 145 runs partnership for the 5th wicket between Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Malla broke the record for the highest run partnership for 5th wicket in T20I, breaking the record of 121 between James Neesham and Mark Chapman of New Zealand. Among Nepali batters, the duo broke the record of 70 runs between Rohit Paudel and Gulsan Jha for 5th wicket partnership. With the win, Nepal reached the final of the series with a game yet to play.

Nepal played its 4th game of the tri-series against the UAE. Nepal won the toss and elected to field first. UAE scored 164/7 in 20 overs. In response, Nepal chased down the total in 20th over with 4 balls to spear. Aasif Sheikh scored 62 in 50 balls. Dipendra Singh Airee won the player of the match for his quick knock of 40 off 15 balls. The 99-run partnership between Aasif Sheikh and Rohit Paudel broke the record of 93 runs partnership between Dipendra Singh Airee and Rohit Paudel for the 4th wicket partnership in T20I for Nepal.

The final game of the tr-series was against Nepal and the UAE. It was the only game to be held at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. UAE won the toss and elected to field first. Nepal scored 162/8 in 20 overs. Kushal Bhurtel scored 50 off 29 balls. In response, UAE chased down the total losing 6 wickets with a ball to spear. With the loss, Nepal finished as the runner-up of the Triangular series.

Canada Tour of Nepal 2024

On February 8, 2024, Nepal asserted its dominance in a spectacular cricket series against Canada at the Tribhuvan University Ground. The first ODI witnessed an outstanding performance, with Captain Rohit Paudel's career-best figures of 4-22 leading Nepal to a triumphant 7-run victory. Continuing their stellar form, on February 10, 2024, Nepal achieved a historic milestone, chasing down a target of 286 runs in the second ODI, thanks to the collective efforts of Paudel, Anil Sah, and Dev Khanal, securing a remarkable four-wicket win and tying the national record for the most successful run chase.

The series concluded on February 12, 2024, with a resounding 9-wicket victory in the third ODI. Anil Sah and Bhim Sharki delivered outstanding centuries, guiding Nepal to a comprehensive win and sealing a clean sweep. Notably, Nepal's exceptional performance in Kirtipur extended their winning streak to 15 consecutive ODIs, making it the fourth-longest home winning streak in men's ODI history. As Nepal gears up for the trilateral CWC League 2 series, their formidable display, particularly Sah's standout performances, positions them as a force to be reckoned with in the global cricketing arena.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024

In Nepal's debut match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2024 Group D stage on June 4, 2024, they faced the Netherlands at Dallas. This historic encounter marked the beginning of Nepal's campaign in the tournament, as they sought to make a strong impression in their second World Cup appearance after 10 years. Despite putting up a valiant effort, Nepal fell short against the formidable Dutch side, with the match concluding in a closely contested result. The Netherlands' disciplined bowling attack, spearheaded by left-arm spinner Tim Pringle and Logan van Beek, proved challenging for Nepal's batting lineup, as they were bowled out for 106 runs. However, Nepal fought hard, managing to stretch the game to the 19th over, showcasing their resilience and determination. Reflecting on the match, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel acknowledged the challenging batting conditions and highlighted the need for stronger partnerships to set a competitive total. While Nepal's bowlers displayed tenacity, missed catching opportunities proved costly, allowing the Netherlands to chase down the target with ease. Max O'Dowd's resilient half-century, supported by Bas de Leede's decisive boundary, sealed the victory for the Netherlands, despite Nepal's spirited performance.

Their second match, against Sri Lanka at the Central Broward Park, was abandoned due to heavy rain, which gave Nepal 1 point.

Their third match, against South Africa at the Arnos Vale Stadium, was historic. Nepal's bowling attack, spearheaded by Kushal Bhurtel, who took 4/19 and Dipendra Singh Airee, who took 3/21 restricted South Africa to only 115/7, with Reeza Hendricks top-scoring with 47 runs. Nepal managed to score 34 runs in the first 7 overs, with Kushal Bhurtel scoring 13 runs off 20 balls. However, the 8th over was disastrous for Nepal. Tabraiz Shamsi bowled out Kushal, and then just 2 balls later, bowled Rohit Paudel for 0 runs. However, Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah propelled Nepal to 82/2 in 13 overs, needing just 34 runs off 42 balls. However, Aiden Markram managed to get a breakthrough with a great catch from Marco Jansen, seeing off Anil Sah, who made 27 runs off 24 balls. Once more, Aasif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee managed to get on their feet. By the end of the 17th over, Nepal was 98/3, and needed 18 runs off 18 balls. However, Shamsi turned things around, taking 2 wickets in the 18th over, seeing off Airee, who made 6 runs off 11 balls and Aasif, who made 42 runs off 49 balls. However, the target was very much still doable. Nepal needed 16 runs off 12 balls, with Kushal Malla and Gulsan Jha at the crease. However, Anrich Nortje managed to bowl Kushal out, who had made 1 run off 3 balls. Sompal Kami came out and gave his team hope. After 2 consecutive dot balls, he bashed a ball over 100 metres for a maximum, followed by running 2 runs to finish the penultimate over. Nepal needed just 8 runs off 6 balls as the last over started. With Gulsan Jha at strike and Ottneil Baartman balling, the first 2 balls were dots. However, Gulsan turned things around with a cracking boundary for 4. Now, Nepal needed 4 runs off 3 balls. Gulsan managed to get 2 runs, and Nepal needed just 2 runs off 2 balls to make history. Baartman managed to get in a dot ball, and suddenly Nepal needed 2 runs off 1 ball to win and a single for a Super Over. For the last ball, Gulsan couldn't get a hit, and they scrambled for a single. Quinton de Kock threw the ball and it deflected to Klaasen off Gulsan. Gulsan slowed down a bit at the very end, and Heinrich Klaasen managed to run him out, ending in Nepal losing by just 1 run.

This meant that Nepal was out of the World Cup, with just one match remaining, against Bangladesh. Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first. Sompal Kami managed to catch and ball out Tanzid Hasan, giving Nepal the advantage from the first ball. The last ball of the over was given out by the empire, but Liton Das reviewed, and a not out was decided. Then, Airee managed to bowl out Najmul Hossain Shanto in the 3rd ball of the second over, ending the over with Bangladesh at just 11/2. Bangladesh managed to stand for another two overs before another wicket. In the final over of the powerplay, Liton Das threw up, and the ball was caught, and by the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh was only 26/3. Just the next over, Paudel managed to get Towhid Hridoy caught out, and Bangladesh ended the over at 31/4. Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan put Bangladesh back on its feat, but at the end of the 8th over, poor running meant Mahmudullah was caught run out, and Bangladesh was a measly 52/5 by the end of the 8th over. By the end of the 10th over, Bangladesh were still only 59/5, but Paudel managed to trap Shakib lbw in the 11th. At the start of the 13th over, Sandeep Lamichhane, who was only playing his second game since his getting suspended on allegations of rape, managed to trap Tanzid lbw, but after an appeal, it appeared the ball would have spun a bit too much, keeping Tanzid on the crease. However, just the next ball, Lamichhane managed to bowl him. By the end of his over, Bangladesh were stranded at 72/7. Lamichhane came to bowl just one over later. He managed to bowl out Jaker Ali, and by the end of his over, Bangladesh were at 75/8, giving Lamichhane his 100th wicket in T20Is. However, Rashid Hossain managed to smash a 6 and a 4 in the next over, which ended in Taskin being nearly caught lbw, but saved by the third umpire. Just the next ball, Airee bowled Rashid out. By the end of their innings, Bangladesh had been restricted to just 106. Nepal started their innings hopeful for a victory, but the powerplay ended with Nepal stranded at 20/3, with Tanzid Hasan Sakib managing to grab a wicket maiden and 3 wickets overall in just the powerplay. The next two overs went similarly, with both Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib grabbing wickets, giving Tanzim 4. As the 6th over ended, Nepal was only 26/5. However, Airee and Kushal Malla managed to give Nepal chances. As the 15th over ended, Nepal had been propelled to 77/5, needing 30 runs off 24 balls. However, just the next over, Mustafizur managed to see off Kushal Malla, and Taskin saw off Gulsan Jha. At the end of the 17th, Nepal were 85/7 and needed 22 runs off 12 balls. Mustafizur, however, had a wicket maiden in the penultimate over, and Nepal were 85/8 and needed 22 runs of f6 balls. In the ultimate over, Shakib managed to get 2 off 2, and Nepal lost, managing only 85 runs due to Taskin's beautiful spell, and Bangladesh were propelled into the Super Eight.

International grounds

Main article: List of international cricket grounds in Nepal

TU

Mulpani Cricket Ground

Pokhara International Cricket Stadium

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Locations of all major cricket stadiums within Nepal.

TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and Mulpani Cricket Ground in Mulpani, Kathmandu are the only two grounds with One Day International status. Pokhara International Cricket Stadium in Pokhara is a Cricket stadium which has been used for few women's international matches and domestic matches. There are other cricket grounds in the country that host regional and national level tournaments with some being under construction and few undergoing some development.

Venue	City	Capacity	Tests	ODIs	T20Is	WT20Is
TU Cricket Ground	Kirtipur	15,000	0	34	34	5
Upper Mulpani International Cricket Ground	Kageshwari-Manohara	4,000	0	1	13	0
Pokhara International Cricket Stadium	Pokhara	(Proposed expansion)	0	0	0	4

Tournament history

Key

	Champions
	Runners-up
	3rd position

ICC Cricket World Cup

ICC Cricket World Cup record								Qualification record
Host & Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	L	T	NR	Pld	W	L	T	NR
1975	Not eligible							Not eligible
1979
1983
1987
1992
1996
1999
2003	Did not qualify							5	4	1	0	0
2007	Not eligible							Not eligible
2011
2015	Did not qualify							16	9	7	0	0
2019								35	17	17	0	1
2023								36	19	15	1	1
2027	TBD
2031

ICC T20 World Cup

Host & Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L	T	NR
2007	Not eligible
2009
2010
2012	Did not qualify
2014	Group Stage	12/16	3	2	1	0	0
2016	Did not qualify
2021
2022
2024	Group Stage	17/20	4	0	3	0	1
2026	TBD
2028
2030
Total	Group Stage (2014, 2024)	2/9	7	2	4	0	1

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Host & Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Notes
1979	Not eligible – Not an ICC member
1982
1986
1990	Not eligible – ICC affiliate member
1994
1997	Did not participate
2001	Group stage	Round 1	5	4	1	0	0
2005	Did not qualify
2009	Not eligible – In Division Five
2014	Playoffs	9th	6	1	5	0	0	Relegated to 2014 Division 3
2018	Playoffs	8th	6	2	4	0	0	Gained ODI status until 2023
2023	Playoffs	8th	6	2	4	0	0	Had retained ODI status until 2027
Total			23	9	14	0	0

ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier

Host & Year	Round	Position	P	W	L	T	NR	Notes
2008	Did not participate
2010
2012	7th-10th Playoff Stage	7th	9	5	4	0	0
2013	Semi Final	3rd	10	6	4	0	0	Qualified for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20
2015	Group Stage	12th	6	1	4	0	1
2019	Did not qualify
2022	Semi Final	3rd	5	4	1	0	0
2023	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	0	Qualified for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Total			35	18	14	1	1

Asia Cup

Host & Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	L	T	NR
1984	Not Eligible
1986
1988
1990–91
1995
1997	did not qualify
2000	did not participate
2004	did not qualify
2008
2010	did not participate
2012
2014	did not qualify
2016	did not participate
2018	did not qualify
2022
2023	Group Stage	5th/6th	2	0	2	0	0
2025	Did not qualify
2027	TBD

Asia Cup Qualifier

Host & Year	Tournament	Position	P	W	L	T	N/R	Notes
2014	ACC Premier League	3rd	5	3	2	0	0	Qualified for 2014 ACC Championship, but the tournament was cancelled.
2016	Asia Cup Qualifier	did not participate						Had no T20I status
2018	Asia Cup Qualifier	4th	5	2	3	0	0	Qualified for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup
2020	Asia Cup Qualifier	did not qualify						Setback in eastern regional qualifier
2023	ACC Premier Cup	Champions	6	5	0	0	1	Qualified for the 2023 Asia Cup and 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup
2024	ACC Premier Cup	4th	6	4	2	0	0

Asian Games

Year	Position	GP	W	L	T	N/R	Notes
2010	Quarter-finals	3	1	2	-	-	Knocked out by Sri-Lanka in the Quarter-Final
2014	Quarter-finals	3	2	1	-	-	Knocked out by Afghanistan in the Quarter-Final
2022	Quarter-finals	3	2	1	-	-	Knocked out by India in the Quarter-Final

World Cricket League / Cricket World Cup League 2

Year	Position	GP	W	L	T	N/R	Notes
2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Five	3rd place	7	5	1	0	1	Remained in 2010 Division Five
2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five	Champions	6	5	1	0	0	Promoted to Division Four for 2010
2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four	3rd place	6	4	2	0	0	Remained in Division Four for 2012
2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four	Champions	6	6	0	0	0	Promoted to Division Three for 2013
2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three	Champions	6	4	2	0	0	Promoted to the 2014 World Cup Qualifier
2014 ICC World Cricket League Division Three	Champions	6	5	1	0	0	Promoted to Division Two for 2015
2015 Division Two	4th place	6	3	3	0	0	Qualified for the 2015-17 ICC World Cricket League Championship
2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship	7th place	14	4	9	0	1	Relegated to Division Two
2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two	Runners-Up	6	4	2	0	0	Advanced to the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier
2019-2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2	3rd	36	19	15	1	1	Advanced to the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier and retained ODI status until 2027
2024-2026 Cricket World Cup League 2	On Going

South Asian Games

Host & Year	Position	GP	W	L	T	N/R
2019	Bronze	5	3	2	0	0

ACC Emerging Team Asia Cup (List A Tournaments)
Host & Year	Tournament	Position	GP	W	L	T	NR
2013	2013 ACC Emerging Teams Cup	Group Stage	3	0	3	0	0
2017	2017 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup	Group Stage	3	1	2	0	0
2018	2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup	Did not Qualify
2019	2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup	Group Stage	3	1	2	0	0
2023	2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup	Group Stage	3	1	2	0	0

ICC Intercontinental Cup (First Class Tournament)
Year	Tournament	Position	GP	W	L	D	points
2004	2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Group Stage- Asia Group	2	1	0	1	42
2005	2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Group Stage- Asia Group	2	1	0	1	40.5
2006-07	2006–07 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Did not qualify
2007-08	2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Did not qualify
2009-10	2009–10 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Did not qualify
2011-13	2011–2013 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Did not qualify
2015-17	2015–2017 ICC Intercontinental Cup	Did not qualify

ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament record
Year	Tournament	Position
2006	ACC Fast Track Countries Tournament	Winners

ACC Trophy record (50 Over Tournament)
Year	Tournament	Position
1996	1996 ACC Trophy	First round
1998	1998 ACC Trophy	First round
2000	2000 ACC Trophy	Semi-finals
2002	2002 ACC Trophy	Runners-up
2004	2004 ACC Trophy	5th place
2006	2006 ACC Trophy	4th place
2008	2008 ACC Trophy Elite	4th place
2010	2010 ACC Trophy Elite	Runners-up
2012	2012 ACC Trophy Elite	Winners (Shared trophy with United Arab Emirates national cricket team

Current squad

The following is a list of centrally contracted players ODI,T20I with Cricket Association of Nepal for 2024 year.The bold players selected for 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.

No.	Name	Date of birth	Batting style	Bowling style	C/G	Forms	Domestic Team	NPL	Last ODI	Last T20I
Captain (ODI, T20I) & Batsman
17	Rohit Paudel	(2002-09-02) 2 September 2002	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	A	ODI, T20I	Armed Police Force (APF)	Lumbini Lions	2024	2024
Batsmen
14	Kushal Bhurtel	(1997-01-22) 22 January 1997	Right-handed	Right-arm Leg break	A	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Pokhara Avengers	2024	2024
24	Aarif Sheikh	(1997-10-05) 5 October 1997	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	B	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Sudurpaschim Royals	2024	2024
52	Bhim Sharki	(2001-09-26) 26 September 2001	Right-handed	—	B	ODI	Nepal Army Club	Kathmandu Gurkhas	2024	—
21	Sundeep Jora	(2001-10-20) 20 October 2001	Right-handed	—	C	T20I	APF Club	Lumbini Lions	—	2024
18	Dev Khanal	(2005-05-29) 29 May 2005	Right-handed	—	EC	ODI, T20I	Lumbini Province	Karnali Yaks	2024	2024
All-rounders
45	Dipendra Singh Airee	(2000-01-24) 24 January 2000	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	A	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Sudurpaschim Royals	2024	2024
02	Kushal Malla	(2004-03-05) 5 March 2004	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	B	ODI, T20I	Nepal Army Club	Chitwan Rhinos	2024	2024
15	Gulsan Jha	(2005-02-17) 17 February 2005	Left-handed	Right-arm medium	B	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Karnali Yaks	2024	2024
75	Basir Ahamad	(2003-09-11) 11 September 2003	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	D	ODI, T20I	Nepal Army Club	Biratnagar Kings	2022	2022
31	Pawan Sarraf	(2000-12-17) 17 December 2000	Right-handed	Right-arm off break	D	ODI, T20I	Madhesh Province	—	2024	2022
71	Bibek Yadav	(2003-10-07) 7 October 2003	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	D	T20I	Nepal Army Club	Lumbini Lions	—	2024
	Bipin Khatri	(1997-11-25) 25 November 1997	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	EC	—	Gandaki Province	Pokhara Avengers	—	—
Wicket-keepers
9	Aasif Sheikh	(2001-01-22) 22 January 2001	Right-handed	—	A	ODI, T20I	APF Club	Janakpur Bolts	2024	2024
43	Arjun Saud	(2003-06-29) 29 June 2003	Right-handed	—	C	ODI, T20I	Nepal Army Club	Lumbini Lions	2024	2022
18	Binod Bhandari	(1990-01-25) 25 January 1990	Right-handed	—	C	ODI, T20I	Nepal Army Club	Sudurpaschim Royals	2022	2024
16	Anil Kumar Sah	(1998-11-17) 17 November 1998	Right-handed	—	D	ODI, T20I	Madhesh Province	Janakpur Bolts	2024	2024
	Arjun Gharti	(2003-06-29) 29 June 2003	Right-handed	—	EC	—	Karnali Province	Karnali Yaks	—	—
Spin bowlers
25	Sandeep Lamichhane	(2000-08-02) 2 August 2000	Right-handed	Leg break	A	ODI, T20I	Gandaki Province	Biratnagar Kings	2024	2024
27	Lalit Rajbanshi	(1999-02-27) 27 February 1999	Right-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	B	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Janakpur Bolts	2024	2024
8	Sagar Dhakal	(2001-12-14) 14 December 2001	Right-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	D	ODI, T20I	Nepal Police Club	Pokhara Avengers	2022	2024
	Surya Tamang	(2001-09-30) 30 September 2001	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	D	ODI	Bagmati Province	Lumbini Lions	2024	—
	Dipesh Kandel	(2005-07-04) 4 July 2005	Left-handed	Slow left-arm orthodox	EC	—	Koshi Province	Kathmandu Gurkhas	—	—
Fast bowlers
10	Sompal Kami	(1996-02-02) 2 February 1996	Right-handed	Right-arm Fast medium	A	ODI, T20I	Nepal Army Club	Karnali Yaks	2024	2024
33	Karan KC	(1991-10-10) 10 October 1991	Right-handed	Right-arm Fast medium	A	ODI, T20I	APF Club	Kathmandu Gurkhas	2024	2024
13	Avinash Bohara	(1997-07-30) 30 July 1997	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	B	ODI,T20I	APF Club	Sudurpaschim Royals	2020	2024
37	Pratis GC	(2004-05-22) 22 May 2004	Right-handed	Left-arm medium	C	ODI,T20I	Bagmati Province	Biratnagar Kings	2023	2024
1	Rijan Dhakal	(1994-12-31) 31 December 1994	Right-handed	Left-arm medium	EC	ODI, T20I	Bagmati Province	Chitwan Rhinos	2024	2024
11	Aakash Chand	(2004-12-18) 18 December 2004	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	D	ODI, T20I	Sudurpashchim Province	Pokhara Avengers	2024	2024
	Hemant Dhami	(2006-04-14) 14 April 2006	Right-handed	Right-arm medium	EC	ODI	Sudurpashchim Province	Janakpur Bolts	2024	—
	Rupesh Singh	(2000-07-14) 14 July 2000	Right-handed	Right-arm Fast medium	EC	—	Madhesh Province	Janakpur Bolts	—	—

As of 30 Oct 2024

Pay grade

CAN awards central contracts to its players, their pay is graded according to the importance of the player. Players' Monthly salaries are as follows:

• Grade A – रु. 1,00,000
• Grade B – रु. 70,000
• Grade C – रु. 55,000
• Grade D – रु. 35,000
• Grade EC. (Emerging Category) – रु. 25,000

Match fees

Players also receive a match fee of Rs 5,000 per T20I match and Rs 10,000 per ODI match.

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Cricket Manager	Binod Das
Team Manager	Pradeep Majgaiyan
Head Coach	Monty Desai
Assistant Coach	Basant Shahi
Mentor	Pubudu Dassanayake
Bowling Consultant	Roddy Estwick
Batting Consultant	Nandan Phadnis
Consultant Coach	Jagat Tamata
Analyst	Raman Siwakoti
Physiotherapist	Vikram Neupane
Trainer	Abdul Sattar
Team Doctor	Dr. Abhisekh Raj Singh

Coaching history

Further information: List of Nepal national cricket coaches

• 2001: Aftab Baloch
• 2001-2010: Roy Dias
• 2011-2015: Pubudu Dassanayake
• 2015-2019: Jagat Tamata
• 2019-2020: Umesh Patwal
• 2020-2021: Dav Whatmore
• 2021-2022: Pubudu Dassanayake
• 2022: Manoj Prabhakar
• 2023–present: Monty Desai

Records and statistics

International Match Summary – Nepal

Last updated 4 November 2024

Playing Record
Format	M	W	L	T	NR	Inaugural Match
One Day International	73	35	35	1	2	1 August 2018
Twenty20 International	95	53	38	2	2	16 March 2014

One Day Internationals

Main article: List of Nepal One Day International records

• Highest team total: 310/8 v. Oman on 21 April 2023 at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
• Highest individual score: 126, Rohit Paudel vs Papua New Guinea on 25 March 2022 at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
• Best individual bowling figures: 6/11, Sandeep Lamichhane vs Papua New Guinea on 10 September 2021 at Oman Cricket Academy, Al Amerat.

Most ODI runs for Nepal

Player	Runs	Average	Career span
Rohit Poudel	1753	29.71	2018–2024
Aasif Sheikh	1522	29.84	2021–2024
Kushal Bhurtel	1285	23.36	2021–2024
Aarif Sheikh	1118	26.61	2018–2024
Dipendra Singh Airee	948	18.96	2018–2024

Most ODI wickets for Nepal

Player	Wickets	Average	Career span
Sandeep Lamichhane	121	19.11	2018–2024
Karan KC	79	26.10	2018–2024
Sompal Kami	79	28.89	2018–2024
Lalit Rajbanshi	41	22.17	2019–2024
Dipendra Singh Airee	38	35.78	2018–2024

ODI record versus other nations

Records complete to ODI #4796. Last updated 4 November 2024.

Opponent	M	W	L	T	NR	First match	First win
v. Full Members
India	1	0	1	0	0	4 September 2023
Ireland	1	0	1	0	0	4 July 2023
Pakistan	1	0	1	0	0	30 August 2023
West Indies	1	0	1	0	0	22 June 2023
Zimbabwe	1	0	1	0	0	18 June 2023
v. Associate Members
Canada	5	3	2	0	0	8 February 2024	8 February 2024
Namibia	8	2	5	0	1	11 July 2022	14 February 2023
Netherlands	5	2	3	0	0	1 August 2018	3 August 2018
Oman	8	3	5	0	0	5 February 2020	19 September 2021
Papua New Guinea	10	8	2	0	0	7 September 2021	7 September 2021
Scotland	8	4	3	0	1	13 July 2022	13 July 2022
United Arab Emirates	15	9	6	0	0	30 August 2018	26 January 2019
United States	9	4	4	1	0	8 February 2020	8 February 2020

Twenty20 Internationals

Main article: List of Nepal Twenty20 International cricket records

• Highest team total: 314/3 v. Mongolia on 27 September 2023 at Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, Hangzhou.
• Highest T20I score: 137*, Kushal Malla vs Mongolia on 27 September 2023 at Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, Hangzhou.
• Best individual bowling figures: 6/11, Abinash Bohara vs Maldives on 1 October 2023 at Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, Hangzhou

Most T20I runs for Nepal

Player	Runs	Average	Career span
Dipendra Singh Airee	1725	34.50	2018–2024
Rohit Paudel	1310	28.47	2019–2024
Kushal Bhurtel	1298	28.21	2021–2024
Aasif Sheikh	1245	23.94	2021–2024
Kushal Malla	917	27.78	2019–2024

Most T20I wickets for Nepal

Player	Wickets	Average	Career span
Sandeep Lamichhane	108	12.40	2018–2024
Karan KC	97	19.60	2015–2024
Abinash Bohara	75	19.70	2019–2024
Sompal Kami	70	23.85	2014–2024
Dipendra Singh Airee	49	16.93	2018–2024

T20I record versus other nations

Records complete to T20I #2921. Last updated 20 October 2024.

Opponent	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	No Result	First	Last
Full Members
Afghanistan	1	1	0	0	0	20 March 2014	20 March 2014
Bangladesh	2	0	2	0	0	18 March 2014	16 June 2024
India	1	0	1	0	0	3 October 2023
Ireland	3	0	3	0	0	13 July 2015
South Africa	1	0	1	0	0	14 June 2024
Zimbabwe	2	0	2	0	0	27 September 2019
v. Associate Members
Bhutan	1	1	0	0	0	5 December 2019	5 December 2019
Canada	3	1	2	0	0	21 February 2022	21 February 2022
Hong Kong	11	5	5	0	1	16 March 2014	16 March 2014
Kenya	5	3	2	0	0	25 August 2022	25 August 2022
Kuwait	1	1	0	0	0	27 July 2019	27 July 2019
Malaysia	10	9	1	0	0	13 July 2019	13 July 2019
Maldives	3	3	0	0	0	6 December 2019	6 December 2019
Mongolia	1	1	0	0	0	27 September 2023	27 September 2023
Namibia	2	1	1	0	0	27 February 2024	1 March 2024
Netherlands	13	5	7	0	1	30 June 2015	4 June 2024
Oman	8	5	2	1	0	10 October 2019	11 February 2022
Papua New Guinea	6	4	2	0	0	17 July 2015	28 March 2022
Philippines	1	1	0	0	0	19 February 2022	19 February 2022
Qatar	2	1	1	0	0	23 July 2019	13 April 2024
Saudi Arabia	1	1	0	0	0	17 April 2024	17 April 2024
Singapore	3	2	1	0	0	28 July 2019	28 September 2019
Thailand	1	1	0	0	0	4 March 2020	4 March 2020
United Arab Emirates	10	5	5	0	0	31 January 2019	1 February 2019
United States	3	2	0	1	0	17 October 2024	17 October 2024

See also

• Cricket in Nepal
• Cricket Association of Nepal
• Nepal A cricket team
• Nepal national under-19 cricket team
• List of Nepal Twenty20 International cricket records
• List of Nepal ODI cricketers
• List of Nepal Twenty20 International cricketers