KATHMANDU: Nepali national cricket team all-rounder Gulshan Kumar Jha predicted accurately before the ICC Cricket World Cup League-2 series against top-ranked USA and Scotland: “If possible four, if not, we will definitely win three matches.”

This prediction was largely fulfilled after Nepal defeated the visiting US team by a wide margin of 122 runs on Friday at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Chasing Nepal’s massive target of 318 runs, the USA was bowled out for 195 runs in 41.2 overs. This 317-run total marks Nepal’s highest-ever ODI score at Kirtipur, breaking their previous record of 310 runs set against Oman during the ACC Premier Cup on April 21, 2023, a match Nepal won by 84 runs.

Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh

During this home series, Nepal won both matches against the USA, and split their two fixtures against Scotland with one win and one defeat. With this, Nepal concluded its home-ground League-2 fixtures by winning six of its last eight matches. Combined with two previous wins against the UAE and one against Oman, Nepal has now accumulated 24 points from 28 matches.

USA remains steady in title race

Despite an underwhelming performance in Kirtipur, the USA maintains its top position in the points table with 38 points from 28 matches. The US team had arrived in Kathmandu aiming to secure a series “clean sweep” to claim the League-2 title, but Scotland and Nepal dealt severe blows to their campaign.

Scotland first defeated the USA by two runs via the DLS method in a rain-affected match, followed by Nepal securing an impressive nine-run victory in the second game. Although the USA temporarily bounced back by defeating Scotland by six wickets to strengthen its standings, Nepal’s final 122-run victory disrupted the American campaign once again.

Historically, despite their overall strength, the US team has consistently struggled under pressure against Nepal at Kirtipur. During the 2019–2023 League-2 cycle, Nepal won both home matches against the USA comfortably—winning the first on February 8, 2022, by 35 runs, and bowling the US out for just 35 runs four days later to secure an easy eight-wicket victory.

Ishan Pandey

US Captain Saiteja Mukamalla acknowledged that Nepal becomes exceptionally dangerous toward the end of tournament cycles. “Nepal always plays excellent cricket toward the end of the cycle. They are a good team and played very well today,” Mukamalla noted. “We are also a good team, and I believe we will make a comeback.”

Currently, the USA, Oman, and Nepal each have eight matches remaining in the League-2 cycle. However, Scotland, which trails the USA closely with an equal 38 points, has only four matches left to play. Oman sits in third place with 31 points, followed by the Netherlands in fourth with 28 points (having played four fewer games). Namibia holds sixth place with 22 points, Canada is seventh with 21 points, and the UAE languishes at the bottom in eighth place with 14 points.

Hope for qualification remains intact

According to International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, the top four teams from this eight-nation 2024–2027 League-2 cycle will qualify directly for the One Day World Cup Qualifiers.

The USA and Scotland have effectively locked in their qualification spots. The remaining two spots are being contested by all other nations except the UAE.

As Captain Mukamalla observed, Nepal’s prospects remain highly viable. Historically, Nepal managed to retain its ODI status until 2027 by winning 11 of its final 12 matches in the previous cycle. A similar late-stage resurgence seems to be unfolding now.

Rohit Paudel and Gulsan Jha

While Oman and Scotland secured their qualification spots during the previous qualifiers in Harare, Zimbabwe, the venue for the upcoming qualifying tournament—which determines the path to next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia—has not yet been finalized. However, with eight matches left, Nepal retains a distinct mathematical chance of repeating its past success.

Nepal’s next international fixture is a July tour to the Netherlands, where they will face the hosts alongside Namibia. Following that, the team will travel to play a series against Canada and Oman. To secure a guaranteed spot in the World Cup Qualifiers, Nepal must win at least five of these final eight away matches—a challenging task given their away record.

Historically, Nepal has struggled against three of these upcoming opponents. In the current cycle, Nepal has won three out of four meetings against the Netherlands, but has lost both matches against Canada. Their record against Oman stands at one win and three losses, while Namibia holds a perfect winning record against Nepal across both their encounters.

Nevertheless, Nepal Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel remains optimistic following recent performances.

“Winning six out of eight matches is an unbelievable achievement. After winning crucial matches against Oman and the UAE, we have found our rhythm at a vital time,” Paudel stated. “This has built immense belief within the squad that we can win from any situation.”

When Nepal first returned to its home ground, the team possessed just 12 points from 20 matches. This consecutive six-match winning streak has allowed Nepal to bypass Canada and Namibia to climb two positions in the standings. If they maintain this momentum, a spot in the World Cup Qualifiers remains fully within reach.