Kathmandu, June 27: The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a 15-member national squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in the Netherlands, where Nepal will compete against the host nation and Namibia. The tournament, which begins on 21 July, is crucial for Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the global qualifiers for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The squad will be led by captain Rohit Paudel, with Dipendra Singh Airee serving as vice-captain. The team also includes experienced players such as leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, batters Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, and bowler Sompal Kami. Other selected players are Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Arjun Kumal, and Binod Bhandari.
In addition to the main squad, CAN has named five reserve players: Sundeep Jora, Shahab Alam, Hemant Dhami, Aakash Chand, and Yuvraj Khatri.
As part of their preparations, the Nepal will travel to the United Kingdom for a warm-up training camp. During the camp, Nepal will play two practice matches against Jersey on 13 July and 15 July before heading to the Netherlands.
The upcoming tri-series is particularly important for Nepal’s world cup qualification campaign. The team is aiming to finish among the top four in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 standings to strengthen its chances of reaching the World Cup qualifying stage.
Currently, Nepal is placed fifth in the League 2 standings with 24 points from 28 matches. The Netherlands occupies third place with 32 points, while Namibia is seventh with 22 points. #nepal
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