Category Archives: 2018 World Cup Qualifiers

For Hong Kong, it was a simple formula in last match of the first round of the World Cup Qualifiers 2018: beat Nepal to go to Super Sixes and retain ODI status. For Afghanistan, who had just one victory against Nepal from four matches, it was even simpler: Nepal beat Hong and they are through. For Nepal, Super Sixes was mathematically possible, practically not, but a victory meant there was still a chance to get ODI status for next four years. Nepal’s five-wicket victory over Hong Kong in Bulawayo made Nepal and Afghanistan happier and Hong Kong sadder. Hong Kong reduced Nepal to 66/5 in pursuit of only 154 for victory. But an outstanding unbroken stand of 89 for the… Read More

Zimbabwe scored 380 for 6 in 50 overs. The match ended right there for Nepal. It’s was the biggest total that any team had scored against Nepal, a team that always performed brilliantly with balls and poorly with the bat. However, Nepal could have salvaged little pride from the loss batting 50 overs and scoring some runs. That was exactly the case – Nepal batted 50 overs; scored 264 runs and didn’t lose all wickets. Two of the batsmen scored half-centuries and players, young and experienced, had some good, morale boosting batting practice going into next matches of the World Cup Qualifiers 2018. Nepal lost the match by 116 runs. Punishing centuries by Sikandar Raza and Brendan Taylor helped the… Read More

In a country where the players are heroes and the sport acts as a balm of sorts, excitement is high for the side’s appearance in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018. How often does a team, chasing 195 for victory in 50 overs, get to 144/9 in 42.1 overs and still not concede defeat? This is Nepal’s story. In an ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Two game in Windhoek on 14 February 2018, Karan KC got together with Sandeep Lamichhane for the last wicket with the target still 51 runs away. Lamichhane faced 18 balls and scored five runs. Karan did the rest, ending unbeaten on a 31-ball 42. Not to forget that Karan was not a top-order… Read More

Nepal will be the youngest side when it enters next month’s ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in their quest to progress to the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament – the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Nepal have not played an ODI in their young but impressive cricket history and the average age of their side is 24 years and one month. Furthermore, five of the six youngest players in the tournament are from Nepal. They are: 15-year-old right-handed batsman Rohit Paudel, 17-year-old wrist-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, 18-year-old all-rounder Dipendra Airee, 19-year-old left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi and right-handed batsman Anil Sah. Nepal have earned their maiden ticket to the qualifier by finishing second in last week’s ICC World Cricket League Division… Read More