Nepal National Cricket Team
The Nepal national cricket team are associate members of the ICC governed by the Cricket Association of Nepal. Due to this membership, the Nepal cricket team are eligible to play in prestigious ICC events such as the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup and The Champions Trophy.
History of Nepal National Cricket Team
The Cricket association of Nepal was founded in 1946 but the game didn’t really start to grow outside of the Katmandu region of the country until the 1980’s. They first became affiliate members of the ICC in 1988 then associate members in 1996. They have progressed through to World Cricket League to division two, qualified for the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and have recently qualified to participate in 2023 Asia Cup.
Where Does The Nepal National Cricket Team Play?
The main international cricket venue for the Nepal national cricket team is the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground which is in the city of Kirtipur in the Kathmandu district.
Former Captains Of The Nepal National Cricket Team
Paras Khadka captained the Nepal national cricket team for eleven years between 2008 and 2019. He earned the nickname ‘captain cool’ from fans. He was an all round cricketer as well as being a fine batsman, he bowled both medium pace and off breaks. Due to his all round game, he is often regarded as one of the finest players to take to the field for the Nepal cricket team.
Top Run Scorers In Nepal National Cricket Team History
23 year old Dipendra Airee has scored 1960 international runs in his career for the Nepal, national cricket team and has been particularly successful in the T20 format.
Top Wicket Takers In Nepal National Cricket Team History
Leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has taken 196 wickets so far for the Nepal cricket team and was the first cricketer from the country to be drafted in the Indian Premier League auction.
Memorable Games For The Nepal National Cricket Team
The Nepal national cricket team reached the group stage for the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh performing admirably narrowly missing out on qualification for the super tens stage of the competition. Of the two games that the Nepal cricket team won, arguably the most impressive success was against the Afghanistan national cricket team, now a full test playing nation. Batting first Subash Khalurel made 56 and Sharad Vesawkar 37 as they scored 141 for 5. Early wickets were likely to be vital in defending such a score and the Nepal cricket team delivered. When Afghan skipper Mohammad Nabi was dismissed for 1 his team were reeling on 50 for 5 after 9 overs. 36 from Shaifiqullah and a 36 ball 49 from Asghar Afghan kept the game in the balance but the Nepal national cricket team managed to sneak home by 9 runs. They finished level on points with the Bangladesh national cricket team who were hosts, but missed out on progression as a result of losing against them in the head to head.
The Nepal national cricket team beat UAE to win the ACC Premier Cup in May 2023 to qualify for the Asia Cup for the first time. It will be the biggest stage the Nepal cricket team have featured on to date as they join giants such as the India national cricket team and Pakistan in group A of the competition. The final victory was relatively straightforward after bowling UAE for just 117 in 33.1 overs in Kirtipur. Lalit Rajbanshi took 4 for 14 and Sandeep Lamichhane 2-34. The chase didn’t start in easy fashion and UAE must have sniffed out an opportunity for victory as they reduced the hosts to 22 for 3 but Gulsan Jha steadied the ship with Bhim Sharki they sealed victory for the Nepal national cricket team with an unbroken 96 run partnership as they won by 7 wickets with nearly 20 overs remaining. Jha’s 67 not out was all the more impressive when you consider he’s just 17 years old. The future looks bright for Nepalese cricket.
