Nepal is set to compete against the United States in its opening match of the ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy 2026 on April 18 at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. The tournament features five teams: Nepal, USA, Italy, Rwanda, and Vanuatu, each playing against one another twice in a double round-robin format. This will be the Nepal women’s cricket team’s first time playing in Rwanda, with Indu Burma leading the squad as captain.
Kathmandu, April 18 – Nepal will begin its ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy 2026 campaign today, facing the USA at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali. The match is scheduled for 4:45 PM local time. The tournament runs from April 18 to May 15 and includes host nation Rwanda along with Nepal, USA, Italy, and Vanuatu.
According to the double round-robin structure, each team plays the others twice, and the team accumulating the highest points will be crowned champion. The ICC introduced this tournament for the first time to provide competitive opportunities for associate member nations. Among the five participating teams, Nepal holds the highest ranking at 21st place.
Nepal’s second match is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, against Italy. The third match will be against Rwanda on Wednesday, April 22, followed by a contest with Vanuatu on Thursday, April 23. Nepal will face the USA again on Saturday, April 25. Subsequent matches include Rwanda on Monday, April 27, Vanuatu on Tuesday, April 28, and Italy on Wednesday, April 29. Nepal’s squad consists of Indu Burma (captain), Pooja Mahto, Bindu Rawal, Rubina Kshetri, Ruby Poddar, Roma Thapa, Kavita Joshi, Kavita Kunwar, Samjhana Khadka, Anu Kadayat, Suman Bist, Riya Sharma, Rachana Chaudhary, and Manisha Upadhyay.
