Nepal’s cricketing hopes are high and the country looks determined to secure Test status in the near future. Nepal has begun an amazing odyssey into the more abbreviated forms of the sport. Having qualified for last year’s T20 World Cup, they’re eager to establish themselves as one of the biggest threats in international cricket. The team recently faced South Africa, narrowly missing a historic upset against a team that eventually reached the World Cup final.
This week, Nepal are taking part in a T20I tri-series in Glasgow against hosts Scotland and the Netherlands. They are hell bent on making a big impact in this tournament, while looking forward to more immediate qualifications for 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 50-over World Cup. Now, under the stewardship of peripatetic new coach Stuart Law, the team is full of confidence and ready to take it to the enemy. Backed by a fervent global diaspora of 29m, they consistently pull huge crowds in their capital, Kathmandu.
Nepal’s cricket history is marked by milestones, including a notable victory over the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord’s in 2016. Nepal has been a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1996. Although the country has made impressive advances in the sport of cricket, it understands that Test status is a very difficult objective. Currently, just 12 full members of the ICC play Test cricket. This limitation only serves to heighten the pursuit of this lofty aspiration.
Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s captain, reflects on the team’s resilient spirit, stating, “I guess it’s the way we have played our cricket for the past 10 years or so. Every game seems to go down to the wire.” This characteristic has earned Nepal the nickname “the Cardiac kids,” a title Paudel elaborates on: “So I think the name ‘cardiac kids’ comes because you never know how we can come back from a bad position to win a game. But once again, we struggle tooth and nail all the way to the last second of the game. No matter how impossible odds, we don’t give up.
The team’s aspirations awakes an infectious excitement in former captain Paras Khadka. He understands that Test cricket, which is the ultimate dream, requires time and a lot of hard work. “For anybody who knows Nepal, it is for climbing Everest. Test cricket is a dream but it is going to take time,” Khadka remarked. He emphasized that given Nepal’s unique position in the cricketing landscape, “we want to make sure that we climb all the right hurdles and one day we reach Everest, which means Test status and ICC full membership for us.”
Nepal’s adventure won’t stop at the dramatic ups and downs promised in Glasgow. You can feel its fight against more established countries, as well as its desire to raise the profile of its cricketing success around the globe. With the promise and dedication the current squad has demonstrated so far, there’s no doubt that they’ll be real challengers at future tournaments.
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