Nepal Cricket Team Departs for Oman to Compete in Final Phase of ICC Cricket World Cup League 2

18 Ashoj, Kathmandu — The Nepal cricket team was formally sent off to Oman to participate in the final phase of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series involving Oman, Canada, and Nepal. The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) held a farewell ceremony on Sunday to bid the team farewell. CAN Chairman Chatur Bahadur Chand, Vice Chairman Roshan Singh, and Secretary Paras Khadka extended their best wishes to the players during the event.

At the farewell event, Secretary Paras Khadka wished the team success by playing strong cricket and securing victories. “This is a crucial series, and the outcomes will have significant implications. Every team has shown competitive cricket. A strong performance here will clarify our future direction. You have demonstrated good cricket before, and I hope you do the same this time. All the best,” he said.

Paras also shared that Nepal would engage in preparatory training and play a practice match upon arrival in Oman. Coach Stuart expressed confidence in the team’s ability to perform at their best in Oman given the importance of this series and emphasized the need to follow a planned approach. “Winning is easy to say, but understanding the process and executing accordingly is essential,” he stated.

Captain Sandeep Lamichhane reported that the team is well-prepared and in good form. “There has been a positive shift in the team’s rhythm. Our goal is to retain ODI status and advance Nepal to the World Cup qualifiers,” he explained.

Chairman Chatur Bahadur Chand also extended his encouragement to the team: “The recent Premier Cup champions have many experienced players, and I believe we will see an excellent performance this time as well. We are confident of bringing joy to the Nepali people this Dashain festival. Best wishes to all.” The Nepal squad is scheduled to depart for Oman on Sunday night.

This series holds immense importance for Nepal as it will determine the preservation of their ODI status and their ranking in League 2. For this competition, CAN made one change from the team that participated in the ACC Premier Cup and included new players. Right-arm pacer Hemant Dhami was replaced by Nandan Yadav, and left-arm spinner Shahab Alam was also added to the squad. Opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel and pacer Sompal Kami were not included in this series, while opener Arjun Kumal and Asif Sheikh retained their places.

Team Nepal: Sandeep Lamichhane (Captain), Dipendra Singh Airee, Rohit Paudel, Asif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Ishan Pande, Dev Khanal, Sandeep Jora, Basir Ahmad, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Lalit Rajbanshi, Shahab Alam, Sher Malak
Coach: Stuart Law
Manager: Suman Raj Karki