The men’s national cricket team of Nepal gears up for the 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier starting Monday in Kathmandu.
Without a doubt Nepal has a glorious chance to come out on top on home soil yet again. More importantly, they must not squander the opportunity to prove themselves.
Hosts Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Malaysia, Hongkong, Singapore, Bahrain and Kuwait are in the fray.
The winners and runners up of the competition will advance to the final round of the 2024 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.
The eight teams are divided into two groups and matches will be held in two venues – Tribhuvan University cricket ground and Mulpani cricket ground in Kathmandu.
As always, like in the past, cricket frenzy is expected to grip Kathmandu Valley. The charged environment and vocal partisan support gives the home team an edge over the opponents.
In addition, as the pitch report suggests, it is batting friendly and slightly favors pacers over spinners.
Home supporters have high expectations and are confident that their team will prevail at the end.
Given Nepal’s adaptability to playing conditions, including pitches and recent performances and results at home, there is every reason for us to remain optimistic of Nepal’s chances.
That said, one thing is very obvious, we can’t take the end result for granted. The team must live up to their billing by delivering the results at the end of the day, and that’s what counts the most.
Nepal starts the competition as the top seed. They are heavy favorites to win the competition and qualify to the World Cup eventually.
The team’s lead-up to the competition has been satisfactory. They have prepared well for the challenge. As a matter of fact, they have been on their toes playing competitive international cricket for quite some time.
The players have grown in confidence and gained invaluable experiences playing against top notch teams of the world.
They have the momentum and riding on this momentum is imperative going into the tournament.
They must remain razor focused, hundred percent committed and perform to their full potential.
Regardless of the opposition, there is no room for complacency. They cannot afford to take the opponents lightly and must compete at their very best.
In the opener Nepal takes on Singapore on Monday. They must get off to a winning start.
Although the odds are heavily stacked against Singapore, Nepal has to put their act together in order to register an impressive win.
In view of the team’s recent setback against the United Arab Emirates in the final of the triangular series, there is plenty of room for improvement. It is a wake up call, definitely.
The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Malaysia and Hong Kong are certainly no pushover opponents and cannot be underestimated. They should be handled with care and respect.
Nepal must work on their shortcomings and take the field as a much improved side in all aspects of the game. They have to avoid being overconfident.
The inclusion of experienced spinner Sandeep Lamichhane bolsters the bowling department.
The bottom line is: Nepal is in a great position to qualify for the World Cup. They cannot stumble or fumble and make a hash of the chance.
