KATHMANDU: In cricket, the ‘one-down’ batter naturally carries a huge responsibility. Especially when the openers are dismissed early, the player coming in at number three must stabilize the innings while also maintaining the run rate. Arjun Kumal, who made his debut in the tri-series involving Oman, the UAE, and Nepal under the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2, also faced this exact pressure.

On May 1, coming out to open against the UAE at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, he scored 11 runs. Four days later, in the match against Oman, when head coach Stuart Law handed him the ‘one-down’ responsibility, he played an innings of 48 runs.

However, stepping out to bat against Scotland on May 12, 20-year-old Arjun could not handle the pressure. Having faced two balls, he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matthew Cross off Mark Watt’s bowling, failing to even open his account. After failing at a crucial opportunity, his performance naturally came under coach Stuart’s review.

As a direct consequence of this, Stuart decided to bench Arjun for Saturday’s match against America under the series involving Nepal, America, and Scotland. In his place, Ishan Pandey was given the opportunity to make his One Day International (ODI) debut.

Ishan receiving his debut cap from Karan KC.

However, the situation in the match turned out somewhat differently. Chasing a modest target of 196 runs for Nepal, openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh batted aggressively and confidently from the very beginning. Both put together an excellent partnership of 147 runs for the first wicket, bringing Nepal to the brink of victory.

Because of this, Ishan, who made his One Day International debut through the same match, did not face the kind of pressure one usually does in normal circumstances. Nonetheless, being his debut match, there were natural expectations of him. Coming to the crease after Aasif returned to the pavilion scoring 84 runs, Ishan batted with composure. He scored 20 runs off 30 balls, including 1 four, guiding Nepal to a comfortable 9-wicket victory.

According to Kushal Bhurtel, who was at the crease with Ishan, he looked mentally calm despite it being his debut match. “Pandey was not nervous. When he went to field as an alternative player against Scotland, he looked a little nervous. But when he came out to bat against America, I told him to take his time and play. He played very composedly,” Kushal shared.

ODI debut after six and a half years

Nepal had participated in the U-19 World Cup held in Bangladesh in 2016. In that team captained by Raju Rijal, Ishan was included alongside Kushal Bhurtel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Aarif Sheikh, and Dipendra Singh Airee, who have now become crucial members of the senior national team.

That World Cup turned out to be memorable for Nepal. Nepal delivered an impressive performance by defeating strong teams like New Zealand and Ireland. However, out of the 6 matches the team played, Ishan did not get an opportunity to play in any. Despite making it into the squad, not being able to step onto the field was a disappointing experience for him.

Even after that, his cricket journey was not easy. After failing to join any team even in a popular franchise tournament like the Everest Premier League, he almost disappeared from mainstream cricket for some time. Due to a continuous lack of opportunities, he remained in the shadows for nearly three years.

However, the 2019 Prime Minister Cup One Day Cricket Tournament gave his career a new turn. Playing from Province Number 3 (currently: Bagmati Province) at that time, he re-established himself. Playing for the team captained by Gyanendra Malla, who was also the vice-captain of the senior team, Ishan scored 180 runs with 2 half-centuries in 5 matches.

That very performance in the domestic tournament opened the doors to the national team for him again. He recalls, “I didn’t even believe that I would be selected for the senior team. Though I used to get the tag of a T20I and ODI player, I had come from the longer format of the Prime Minister Cup.”

After placing fourth on the list of highest run-scorers in the Prime Minister Cup, he was called up for the closed camp. While the closed camp was ongoing, news came in that the team would be touring Singapore. However, since Ishan had come from the 50-over long format, he lacked the confidence that he would be suitable for cricket’s shortest format. Therefore, he was under the impression that he would not make it into the team. It was while playing a pressure-free game just for enjoyment that he managed to secure a spot in the final squad.

“Probably because I felt in my heart that I wouldn’t make the team, I didn’t feel any pressure. Therefore, my performance in the net practice was good. At that time, when Saurav Khanal told me that I made the team, I was shocked,” he says. He made his debut against Zimbabwe on September 27, 2019, in a tri-series held in Singapore. At that time, he was given the responsibility of opening. At the non-striker’s end was Captain Paras Khadka, the very person who handed him his debut cap. However, his debut did not go as expected.

He was caught out after making 4 runs off eight balls, including 1 four. After that, in another match played against Singapore, he was dismissed for just 5 runs. Right after, when he failed to perform in the five-nation series held in Oman as well, his journey with the national team ended in less than a month.

The opportunity given by Nepal ‘A’ team

Ishan, who became a doctor from Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, has continuously delivered excellent performances in domestic cricket in recent years. Playing for Bagmati Province in the Prime Minister Cup concluded this past April 18, he scored 216 runs with two half-centuries in 9 innings. Based on that performance, he made it into the ‘A’ team last month.

Admittedly, he had already secured a place in the Nepal ‘A’ tour of India last year. In the five-match series against the Assam team playing in the Ranji Trophy, he played three matches. However, he could only score 60 runs in those three matches. But on getting a second chance, he stepped onto the field with a different mindset.

Twenty-four days ago, Ishan’s goal was clear—to defeat Oman and send the senior team to play in the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2. For Nepal, sitting in seventh place on the league table, the challenge against third-placed Oman was not considered easy. However, while playing the practice series with the Nepal ‘A’ team, Ishan turned the situation into an opportunity right from the first match.

Coming in to bat at number four against Oman, he played a composed and responsible innings. Scoring 69 runs off 78 balls with 6 fours, he shared a crucial 90-run partnership with Dev Khanal. He was not the only player to shine in that match. Dev contributed 64 runs, while Kushal Malla and Sundeep Jora, who were out of the senior team, scored 57 and 42 runs respectively.

On the back of Nepal’s batting performance, the team set a massive target of 285 runs for Oman. Following that, with tight bowling, Nepal ‘A’ restricted Oman to just 169 runs, securing an impressive 115-run victory.

Senior team head coach Stuart Law had also reached the Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground to watch that match. At a time when the players of the senior team were not delivering the expected performances, the display shown by the ‘A’ team players caught his attention. After the match, encouraging the players, he said, “We are building a culture for the team. A mindset to make the team win by rising above individual performance is necessary. Once you stay at the crease, you must think about how to win the game. To be successful in world cricket, excellent fielding is mandatory, and our goal is to become the best fielding team in the world.”

Ishan shaking hands with head coach Stuart Law after receiving his debut cap.

When wearing the Nepal ‘A’ jersey, there isn’t as much intense pressure as there is with the senior team. This match had not even received First-Class cricket recognition from the ICC. However, for Ishan, this was the exact opportunity to make his place in the senior team.

He had closely witnessed Arjun Kumal and Binod Bhandari making their way into the senior team through good performances in the Prime Minister Cup. However, not getting a chance in the One-Day team even after seven years had passed since his T20I debut had left a deep wound in his heart. Therefore, to make his debut in the 50-over format, he was in a position where he had to strengthen his claim through runs. In such a situation, he began to find his rhythm.

Following that, although he scored 69 runs in another match against Oman, he did not get the expected opportunities in the series against America and Scotland. Having sat on the bench for the first two matches, he was brought onto the field in the third match against Scotland. In that match, coming in at number three, he played yet another half-century innings. Although he sat on the bench again in the next match against America, these three matches became the ladder that elevated him to the national team. “Coming into the team or not was not in my hands at all. I wasn’t in the team for six and a half years. Here, runs were not being made in the Prime Minister Cup either,” he says.

Now, Nepal is scheduled to play against Scotland again on Monday in the domestic series. Against this team, Nepal had lost by 2 runs via the DLS method in the first match. After that, Nepal will conclude the League 2 domestic series by playing another match against America on May 22. In a team under pressure to win, how much will Ishan contribute in the next two matches? The remaining matches will show exactly that.