Nepal Women’s Cricket team will start their campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier today, May 9, with a game against Hong Kong in Bangkok. The match will begin at 8:15 AM (local time) at the Technology Ground and will be streamed live on ICC.tv.
Format of the Asia Qualifier 2025
The tournament features nine teams divided into three groups. Each group has three teams playing in a double round-robin format. Nepal are placed in Group C along with Hong Kong and Bahrain.
The top team from each group will qualify for the Super Three round. The top two teams from Super Three will then qualify for the Global Qualifier. This is a crucial step towards playing in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Nepal’s Group C Fixtures
Nepali Team will play Hong Kong on May 9 and 13, and Bahrain on May 10 and 15. The May 10 match against Bahrain will be held at Terdthai Cricket Ground, while the other games will take place at the Asian Institute of Technology Ground.
So far, Nepal has won five out of nine matches against Hong Kong and both matches played against Bahrain.
Past Performance and Current Goals
In the previous 2023 qualifier, Nepal lost to Thailand in the semi-finals, missing out on the Global Qualifier. This year, the team is aiming for a stronger performance to make their debut in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Strong Preparations in India
Before heading to Thailand, the Women’s Cricket team trained in India. They played three games against Delhi Women and two against RP Cricket Academy.
Though they lost all three matches against Delhi, Nepal won one out of the two matches against RPCA. This exposure is expected to boost the team’s confidence and performance.
Nepal’s 14-Member Squad
CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal) announced the final squad on April 25. Indu Barma is the captain, and young talent Puja Mahato is the vice-captain.
Squad: Indu Barma (C), Puja Mahato (VC), Bindu Rawal, Samjhana Khadka, Rubina Chhetri, Roma Thapa, Kavita Joshi, Ruby Poddar, Rajmati Airee, Kavita Kunwar, Sabnam Rai, Ishwori Bista, Manisha Upadhyaya, Riya Sharma
CAN’s Support and Fitness Focus
The Cricket Association of Nepal has added a fitness trainer from India to the team, improving the players’ fitness levels. CAN remains optimistic about the team’s performance and has been actively supporting the players in their preparation.
Final Thoughts
The Nepal Women’s Cricket team is ready to make history in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier. With proper preparation and solid team support, they aim to reach the Global Qualifier for the first time.
