The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League-2. A record of 11 wins in 12 matches.

That was one of the incredible moments for Nepali cricket, which secured the third position in League-2 by winning consecutively. That result not only saved Nepal’s One Day International (ODI) status for four years but also secured its place in the World Cup Qualifiers. However, exactly two years later, the Nepali team has started to continuously lose that momentum.

The performance of the Nepali team, which is currently touring the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has exposed this. Having suffered three consecutive defeats, Nepal is in a crisis and is set to face the home team in the final match on Wednesday.

Rajkumar Pradhan, a former leg-spinner for the Nepali cricket team, says, “At one point, Nepali players showed confidence that they could do well in this format. But now, that confidence appears to be continuously eroding. This has put the team in a crisis.”

Past peak, current obstacle

In the new cycle of League-2, which runs until 2026, Nepal has so far accumulated 12 points with five wins, 12 losses, and two no-results in 19 matches. Having played more than half of its games, the team is in seventh place. This is considered unusual for a team that made a strong comeback to secure a spot in the top three two years ago.

The USA, which finished fifth in the last cycle, is now in the first place with 36 points. Scotland is second with 30 points, and the Netherlands is third with 28 points. Above Nepal are Oman, Canada, and Namibia, and below is only the UAE (8 points).

This points table shows that it will be difficult for Nepal not only to secure its place in the World Cup Qualifiers but also to save its ODI status. “Discipline is needed in both bowling and batting. But that is not visible now. Batters are not able to play ground shots. On the other hand, the bowling lacks the sharp edge it once had. When the two weapons needed in cricket are not triggered, there is no question of wounding the opponent!” says Pradhan.

Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel, who has batted in the most innings (18) in this cycle, has scored 429 runs, including one century and two half-centuries. However, his average is only 26.81, which is considered extremely weak in this format. Opener Aaarif Sheikh, who has played four fewer games than him, has scored the most runs (433), including three half-centuries. With an average of 36.08, he is hailed as a good batter, but comparing these two with Scotland’s George Munsey, who scored 1,037 runs in 17 innings, and the USA’s Milind Kumar, who scored 1,016 runs in just five more innings, shows a world of difference in performance.

The average of middle-order players like Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sarki, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Gulshan Kumar Jha, along with opener Kushal Bhurtel, is also fragile. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who was the ‘match-winner’ in most games two years ago, has not been able to find his bowling rhythm.

Sandeep Lamichhane in a match against the USA. Photo: CAN

He has bowled the most overs (128), conceding 633 runs and taking just 22 wickets. His performance, with a bowling average of 28.77, appears weak. An average below 20 is considered good in ODI bowling.

Apart from him, the main pacers, Sompal Kami and Karan KC, are also not in form. Currently, the Nepali team is relying on ‘part-time bowlers’ such as Kushal Bhurtel, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Rohit Kumar Paudel. This is disappointing, according to former bowler Sanjam Regmi. “The batter’s job is batting, and the bowler’s job is bowling. When a batter has to do both, they cannot perform well. That’s what is happening now. The responsibilities of each player are not clear, so how can they deliver results?” he says.

Nepali players have not stopped showing signs of returning to their previous form. After defeating the Netherlands by nine wickets in the second game of League-2 at home in 2024, Nepal suffered heavy losses in many of the subsequent matches against Namibia, the Netherlands, Canada, Oman, and the USA.

With one match against Oman canceled, Nepal did try to make a comeback by defeating Scotland by five wickets in the 10th game. However, a subsequent loss to the USA did not allow Nepal to improve its standing in the points table.

Nevertheless, by defeating Scotland by one wicket and the Netherlands by five wickets and 16 runs, Nepal had reached 12 points in the tournament. Since the victory against the Netherlands on June 10, 2025, with rare exceptions, Nepal has neither displayed a fighting game nor achieved a win. Therefore, making a comeback in the tournament is a major challenge for Nepal now.

Nepal on a difficult path

Like the previous edition, Nepal’s goal is to make a grand comeback in League-2. Games are still remaining for that. However, the road ahead looks even tougher.

If Nepal secures a spot in the top four of League-2, it will directly qualify for the World Cup Qualifiers. This qualifying tournament will be similar to the one played in Zimbabwe last time. If Nepal fails to finish in the top four of League-2, it will have to play a play-off. This play-off will be between the top four teams from the Challenge League and the four teams relegated from League-2. Only after passing another qualification stage can the team reach the World Cup Qualifiers.

Due to continuous poor performance, the ODI status has also become a concern. To avoid losing its ODI status, Nepal must not fall into the ‘bottom two’ of League-2. If they fall into the ‘bottom two’, they must qualify by finishing in the top two of another tournament. In this tournament, the teams at the bottom of League-2 compete with the teams coming from the Challenge League.

Currently, as Nepal is in the bottom two, the danger of losing its ODI status is high, says Binod Das, manager of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and former cricketer. He adds that if they stay in the bottom two, the challenge of winning the next tournament will be added.

Nepal’s Kushal Bhurtel batting against the USA. Photo: CAN

Nepal has examples of performing excellently under pressure before. However, winning under pressure every year is not viewed as a strategic plan. “It’s not always possible to win 11 out of 12. Cricket is a game won by performance. Although the situation is not critical, the team is certainly in danger,” says Das.

To improve this situation, Nepal will play a triangular series in League-2 at home next year. There will be almost eight matches in these series. Das says there is hope for a win as the team will have the support of the spectators at home. However, the performance in the last League-2 was not so pleasant. Nepal suffered defeats by four and two wickets against Namibia and eight wickets against the Netherlands.

“But, at a high-competitive level, the probability of not making mistakes is very low. It’s not that Nepal played badly, but the current situation has arisen because they are making mistakes. Now, there is no alternative but to win to improve the situation,” he concludes.

In cricket, Nepal is known as a ‘Fighter’ team. The time has come to prove this again. In the upcoming matches, the challenge is not just to gain points but also to bring back confidence.