Nepal records historic series win over West Indies

At long last the men’s national cricket team of Nepal reached an important milestone in  international cricket recently.

They made  history by winning  the Twenty20  International three match series  2-1 against the West Indies in Sharjah,United Arab Emirates.

The win against a  team with Test Match status was the first ever recorded by Nepal .

Australian head coach Stuart Law was on cloud nine as he celebrated his first major success since he took over the team.

Given the magnitude of the success  against a full member of the International Cricket Council,this is the biggest achievement in the history of Nepal cricket to date.

The accomplishment has earned players accolades from all  quarters,and,more importantly, brought pride to the country.

The remarkable historic series triumph has once again put Nepal back on  the international cricket map.The cricketers have showcased their true potential in a significant way on the global stage, winning hearts and minds of cricket aficionados across the world.  

Nepal 18th in T20 International team rankings  had the odds stacked against them as they went into the series against the sixth placed West Indies.

They  had  to be highly competitive, rise to the  occasion and needed a superlative performance throughout the series to overcome the challenge.

Much to fans' surprise and delight, they not only lived up to their expectations but turned  the tables on their opposition to  win the opener quite convincingly.

Batting first Nepal managed a fighting total of  148 for 8  despite losing both openers early in the innings, however, the middle order batters spearheaded by skipper Rohit Paudel steadied the innings.

The bowlers were up to their task,restricting the opponent to 129 runs and ensuring  their  team  an impressive   19 runs  victory.

 

Man of the match  captain Paudel led  the charge, scoring vital 38 runs and taking a wicket. 

Nepal made history by winning the series,following their  comprehensive 90 runs victory in the second match. As a matter of fact,they overwhelmed the opposition.

In a display of improved batting they scored 173 for 6. The innings was  centered around   Man  of the match Aasif  Sheikh (68 runs) and Sundeep Jora ( 63 runs).  

Experienced Sheikh played a pivotal innings to steady the innings when it mattered most. He cracked a well made 68 with eight hits to the short boundary and two towering sixes.

Jora’s  comeback  to the national team,following his strong batting performance for Nepal A against Assam  fully exploited the opportunity.He batted explosively to score 63 with the help of 3 fours and 5 sixes.

They anchored and propelled  the innings, batting  solidly and sharing a vital partnership to put their team in a strong position.

Surprisingly in the run chase the Windies  caved in without  a semblance of a fight, conceding the tie by 83 runs  in 17.1 overs.

Bouncing back from a period of uncertainty, Aadil  Alam  made a rousing  comeback by taking  4 wickets.

Opener batter Kushal Bhurtel  known for his aggressive batting once again demonstrated his allround ability. He proved his bowling  mettle by claiming 3 wickets. 

Both Alam  and Bhurtel had a big hand in restricting the opposition to  a paltry total and  spearheading their team to a convincing and impressive victory.

However,Team Nepal’s  hopes of whitewashing the Windies  in the series  went up in flames as they meekly  surrendered and faced a 10 wicket defeat in the final match.They paid dearly for their sloppy and mediocre performance.

Nonetheless the  series success has paved the way for  a new dawn for  Nepal cricket.

I congratulate the cricketers for achieving the feat. Admittedly they have a long way to go when it comes to making a run for the Test playing status.

Going forward, they must remain razor focused, committed and disciplined and maintain  a high degree of consistency in their performance. Additionally,they have to develop a positive mindset,keep working on their shortcomings and perform to their potential. 

Besides, the Cricket Association of  Nepal (CAN) must  exercise good governance, professionalize and standardize the domestic league,enhance infrastructure and facilities, offer high quality coaching,work on  financial  sustainability and provide  players top-notch international exposure on a regular basis.

The non-inclusion of star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in the team came as a big surprise. Why a  player of  his quality and experience was ignored for such an important competition is beyond comprehension. 

CAN should apprise cricket fans in the country the reasons for excluding him from the team.Their silence on the matter is unacceptable .

Currently Nepal is in Oman to play in the 2026 T20 World Cup Asia-Pacific Qualifiers. Nine teams  will fight  it out for the three  spots  at stake.

They start the qualifiers on October 8 against Kuwait as overwhelming favorites. Then they next play  minnows Japan. 

 Since Nepal  has the momentum and is pitted against relatively unfancied opponents, I expect them to come out victorious and qualify for the Super Stage six  round .

That being said,they cannot afford to  

underestimate the opponents, become  complacent and  overly confident.The key is  to perform well and deliver the results.

As I write, Nepal recorded an impressive victory over hosts Oman in the first warm up match. They next play  Qatar in  the second practice match  on October 6th .  

The series win against the West Indies makes  Nepal one of the strong  contenders for the three qualifying spots. It is important for them to live up to their expectations.