The Future of Cricket in Nepal

Countries in Asia are more focused on making cricket their primary sport. The amount of popularity Europe has for football, the Asian countries have a similar following for cricket in all formats. Every decade, there is one new team that gets affiliated with the ICC and plays against some of the best cricketers in the world. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have dominated international cricket, and they are now an inspiration for other countries who want to make a name for themselves in international cricket.

It has been 28 years since Nepal played their first international cricket fixture and became an associate member of the International Cricket Council. Their first fixture was against Bangladesh, who were also trying to make a name for themselves during the late 90s.
In these 28 years, a lot has changed with the Nepal Cricket Team. They have produced some of the best talent in white-ball cricket and continue to come across as a strong opposition in major tournaments.

They have yet to play a red-ball format fixture, but in white-ball cricket, Nepal is slowly gaining momentum in international cricket. For those interested in cricket betting, the rise of teams like Nepal brings more exciting opportunities in the sport’s betting landscape.
With 73 ODIs under their belt, Nepal has won 35 of them and has lost an equal number of fixtures. They are currently ranked 18th in the ICC ODI Championship with 26 points overall.

When it comes to the T20 format, Nepal has been part of 95 T20 internationals and they have scored 53 wins and lost 38 fixtures. They are currently at the 17th spot in the ICC T20I Championship with 171 points. Nepal has also been part of 2 ICC T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2024.

In this article, we dive deep into the future of Nepal in international cricket.

New Era Of Talented Cricketers

For a bright future for every cricket team, no matter whether they are established or not, a strong pipeline of talented cricketers is always needed. Nepal has taken care of their pipeline very effectively and has done a good job by providing young talented cricketers to the senior team. Sandeep Lamichhane, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Karan KC are the best examples of the same. They are a valuable part of the team and are also involved in mentoring the young blood of Nepal cricket.

Nepal Cricket Association has tightened up things from the ground level. They have promoted domestic cricket in Nepal in every corner of the country. The Prime Minister’s Cup and the Everest Premier League are the two primary domestic cricket tournaments in Nepal that have given a platform to young talent to perform and make it to the senior team.

The 24-year-old Dipendra Singh Aree, who made his debut for the team at the age of 18, is the best example of Nepal’s talent. He is the leading run-scorer for the team in 2024 and has been a dominating batsman for the team.

Can Nepal Make it Big?

Nepal is relatively a new team but they have been in the field for the past 28 years. With 2 T20 World Qualifications and 3 Asia Cup presences, Nepal’s success has been at a slow pace. However, the Nepal Cricket Board is doing everything to provide its players with the right kind of opportunities with infrastructure.

The major challenges that the board has faced in the past are the challenges of financial and political instability. However, if the team participates more in international tournaments, it will contribute to their growth more and can attract more investors and sponsors which in turn can be used to improve the sport in the country.