Nepal Colts’ Quest for Glory

2024 has been a busy year for the men’s and women’s national cricket teams of Nepal so far.

They have been globe-trotting, playing in various international tournaments with some degree of success.

Our cricketers are slowly but surely making their presence felt in international cricket. Although they have lots of catching up to do with the top nations of the game, nevertheless, the progress they are making is heartening and encouraging.

We have a promising young generation of men and women cricketers who are ready and determined to prove themselves on the world stage and bring glory to the country.

The women’s under-19 squad was under the spotlight for their stellar performance in the recently concluded ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in the United Arab Emirates.

Displaying confidence, consistency, skill, tenacity, and collective effort, they dominated the proceedings and emerged as clear winners.

They ended the tournament with an impressive 5 wins and 1 defeat. In fact, they made short work of Thailand and Kuwait.

Though they conceded the first match to the United Arab Emirates, they bounced back strongly in the decisive title decider to prevail over the hosts.

Skipper Puja Mahato stole the thunder for her brilliant batting performance throughout the competition. She batted exceptionally well, scoring a magnificent 130 not out against Kuwait.

Indeed, an absolutely incredible performance by the team. Hats off to all the players for the landmark achievement.

The historic success earned them a place for the first time in the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025.

Besides, they qualified for the inaugural Asian Cricket Council Women’s U19 Asia Cup, scheduled in Malaysia from December 15 to December 22.

They are drawn together with heavyweights India and Pakistan in Group A, while Group B consists of Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Although Nepal has little to lose, they have a chance to prove themselves further against formidable opponents. This will require focus, commitment, and a strong sense of competitiveness.

The much-needed momentum is on their side going into the competition. It is important that they make the most of it and ride with it.

Globally, women’s cricket has seen significant growth in recent years propelled by interest, increasing numbers of women and girls playing the sport, visibility, rising fan base, and investment. However, work still needs to be done to close the gap with men’s cricket.

Undeniably, the landscape of women’s cricket in Nepal is dire. The fact of the matter is that it has been overlooked by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) for the most part, hindering its growth and development as desired.

CAN must embrace women’s cricket seriously and take a more aggressive approach to turn things around in terms of effective grassroots development, investment, improving infrastructure and training facilities, and upgrading and reforming the domestic structure that is unsustainable and unproductive.

Likewise, the men’s under-19 squad is gearing up for the ACC Under-19 Men’s Asia Cup 2024, taking place in the United Arab Emirates from November 29 to December 8, 2024.

They are in Group A alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. No doubt, they are up against tough opponents. They must shoot and strive to do their best at all costs. It is doable for them to come out on top.

The team, skippered by seasoned campaigner Hemant Dhami, has been presented with a glorious chance to surpass expectations.

More importantly, this is a great opportunity for players vying for a place in the senior team to impress the national selectors.

The talent pool we have is reassuring. We have witnessed exceptionally talented players emerge over the years. One example is ace leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who stands out in the pack.

The sorry state of domestic cricket has proved to be a major deterrent for highly promising players, negatively impacting their growth and performance.

Otherwise, many more Lamichhanes would have surfaced, significantly improving the overall success rate of the team.

There is no disputing that successful teams consist of talented players who consistently deliver results. Bear in mind that the growth of cricket in Nepal has been stymied by a lack of accountability and poor governance within the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), exacerbated by insufficient grassroots development, inadequate infrastructure, and a dearth of proper facilities for a considerable period of time.

It is not an overstatement to say that CAN holds the key to the future success of Nepal cricket. A renewed focus on addressing these issues will be critical to ensuring sustainable progress and achieving greater success internationally.