Nepal’s cricket team is set to compete against Mongolia and Maldives in the group stage of the 19th Asian Games after a rearrangement of the schedule.
The 19th edition of the Asian Games is set to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
Nepal was initially set to play against Japan and Cambodia, However, the withdrawal of Bahrain from the competition necessitated a rearrangement of the schedule.
Nepal will play the first match against Mongolia on the 27th of September at Pingfeng Cricket Field. The match against Maldives will be on October 1 at the same venue.
Afghanistan, the lone full-member nation initially slated for the group stage, has successfully clinched a direct passage into the quarterfinals.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have already earned their spots in the quarterfinals, where they will face additional teams that progressed from the first round.
Cricket has featured at the Asian Games twice – in 2010 and 2014. The sport was left out of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. The matches in the upcoming edition of the Asian Games have been accorded international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Both men’s and women’s cricket will be played in the T20 International (T20I) format.
Nepal has already announced the 15-man squad for the tournament. A regular captain Rohit Paudel will lead the side.
Nepal’s Squad: Rohit Paudel (C), Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Jora, Binod Bhandari, Dipendra Singh Airee, Bibek Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Pratish GC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Avinash Bohara.
