- Nepal announced a 15-member squad captained by Rohit Paudel for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in the Netherlands.
- Currently fifth in the standings, Nepal seeks a top-four finish to ensure direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
- The Rhinos carry momentum after winning six of their last eight home matches against teams like the UAE and United States.
- Key players including Sandeep Lamichhane and Sompal Kami will face hosts Netherlands and Namibia in this critical away leg.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal has officially announced its 15-member national cricket squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series in the Netherlands. Middle-order batter Rohit Paudel will lead the side as captain, while all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee has been appointed as his deputy for the high-stakes tour.
The upcoming tri-series is being viewed as a critical juncture in Nepal’s campaign to secure direct qualification for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. Under the current tournament framework, only the top four teams at the conclusion of the League 2 cycle will advance straight to the final World Cup Qualifier. The bottom four teams will face a much tougher route, relegated to competing in the Qualifier Play-off to keep their World Cup ambitions alive.
Nepal currently sits fifth in the League 2 standings, having accumulated 24 points from 28 matches. The team faces a narrow but challenging deficit behind fourth-placed Oman, which has 31 points, and the third-placed host nation, the Netherlands, which sits slightly ahead with 32 points.
The Rhinos head into Europe carrying significant momentum following an impressive turnaround on home soil. After enduring a sluggish start to the tournament, Nepal rallied to win six of its last eight matches in Kathmandu. That dominant home stretch included clean-sweep 2-0 series victories against both the United Arab Emirates and the United States, alongside tightly contested 1-1 series splits against Oman and Scotland.
Despite their recent resurgence, the Nepalese side faces an uphill battle to bridge the gap with the top four during the away leg. The tour will see Nepal face off against the formidable Dutch hosts as well as a dangerous Namibia squad in a sequence of fixtures that could ultimately dictate the team's qualification fate. With only eight matches left on their League 2 schedule, team management is heavily prioritizing maximizing points on the road before heading into their final fixtures later this winter.
The 15-man traveling squad features a familiar core of experienced players, including Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Arjun Kumal, and Binod Bhandari. Additionally, selectors have named Sundeep Jora, Shahab Alam, Hemant Dhami, Aakash Chand, and Yuvraj Khatri as designated reserves to travel with the contingent.
