Nepali national cricket team has left for Oman to participate in the Global Qualifiers of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The Nepali team left for Oman on Tuesday afternoon after the farewell done by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and Sports Ministry.
Nepal will participate in the global qualifiers game to be held in Oman from February 18 to 24.
Nepal is in Group ‘A’ with eight nations for the World Cup qualifiers to be held in Australia this year.
Group ‘A’ is halved into two groups; Nepal, Oman, Philippines, and Canada are in Group 1 whereas Germany, Ireland, Bahrain, and UAE are in Group 2.
The top two teams of the group will advance to the World Cup.
In the inaugural match, Nepal will play Oman on February 18.
Before the qualifying matches, Nepal will also play a four-nation T20 series in Oman to sharpen up.
Nepal, Oman, UAE, and Ireland will participate in the series.
In the series, Nepal will play Oman on February 11, UAE on February 13, and Ireland on February 14.
Sandeep Lamichhane will be captaining Nepal’s side for the first time.
Lokesh Bam, Bibek Yadav, and Sagar Dhakal are the very new faces in Nepal’s 17 member-playing squads.
Bam is a batter, Yadav allrounder and Dhakal is a left-handed leg spinner.
Dhakal was later added to the squad
Earlier, he was not included in the 16-member squad announced by CAN and coach Pubudu Dassanayake.
Sagar had excelled in the recently concluded Prime Minister’s Cup T20 cricket tournament.
CAN is yet to finalize the 14 men-squad for Global Qualifiers.
Players’ performance in the four-nation T20I series will earn them a place in Nepal’s final squad.
Canadian coach Pubudu Dassanayake led team includes Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sharad Vesawkar, Karan KC and Arif Sheikh are in the team.
Similarly, Kushal Malla, Asif Sheikh, Kamal Singh Airee, Shahab Alam, Avinash Bohra, Pradip Airee, Jitendra Mukhiya, Bibek Yadav, Sagar Dhakal, and Lokesh Bam are also in the team.
Nepal’s team went through vicissitudes but is now focused on the common goal; to secure a spot in the World Cup.
Coach Dassanayake, who was the head coach when Nepal made its first appearance at T20 World Cup in 2014, is quite confident in Nepal playing World Cup for the second time.
Captain Lamichhane seems motivated for making another history.
He said, ‘We are satisfied with the training.’
“Playing World Cup is a dream of every Nepalese. We will give our one hundred percent to make it come true.
Global Qualifiers game schedule:
February 18 – Oman against Nepal
February 19 – Nepal v Philippines,
February 21 – Canada v Nepal
February 22 – Semifinals
February 24 – Final
