Kathmandu, 16, Oct: Nepal has qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup for the third time. Just a few hours before playing against Oman in the Super Six stage of the Asia–East Asia Pacific Qualifier, Nepal secured its ticket to the T20 World Cup. Both results from earlier matches in Muscat, Oman, went in Nepal’s favor, ensuring qualification for both Nepal and Oman. Later in the evening, Nepal defeated Oman by a wide margin of 38 runs, remaining unbeaten with 8 points and finishing at the top of the standings. Nepal, now close to the championship title, will play its final match against Samoa on Friday.
Consistent Performance Leads to Second Consecutive Qualification
Earlier in the day, Qatar defeated Japan by 3 wickets, and the UAE beat Samoa by 77 runs — results that confirmed Nepal and Oman’s second consecutive qualification for the T20 World Cup. In 2023, both teams had also qualified through the Asia Qualifier held in Kathmandu. Interestingly, Muscat was the same venue where Nepal failed to reach both the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup after losing to the UAE in the semifinals of the 2022 T20 Qualifier and the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. This time, however, Nepal turned the tables by defeating the UAE by 1 run in the first Super Six match, bringing the World Cup dream within reach. On Monday, Nepal secured a narrow 5-run win over Qatar, making its qualification a formality. Earlier in the group stage, Nepal defeated Kuwait and Japan, carrying two bonus points into the Super Six.
Nepal first appeared in the T20 World Cup in 2014, held in Bangladesh. Ten years later, the team made its comeback at last year’s World Cup hosted by the USA and the West Indies. Nepal has been participating in T20 World Cup qualifiers since the tournament’s inception in 2007.
Next T20 World Cup Set for India and Sri Lanka
The 10th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup will be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka, featuring 20 nations. Nepal and Oman are the 18th and 19th teams to qualify for this edition. As host nations, India and Sri Lanka have automatically qualified. From the previous World Cup, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the USA, and the West Indies, along with top-ranked teams Ireland, New Zealand, and Pakistan, had already secured their places. From regional qualifiers, Canada (Americas), the Netherlands and Italy (Europe), and Zimbabwe and Namibia (Africa) have also advanced. The ongoing tournament in Oman will determine one more team to join the lineup, with the UAE, Samoa, Qatar, and Japan still in contention.
Nepal will face Samoa in its final Super Six match on Friday. If Nepal wins its last two matches, it will claim the Asia–East Asia Pacific Qualifier title.
Captain Rohit Paudel’s Reaction:
“Before our match against Oman, we already knew we had qualified for the World Cup,” said Nepal captain Rohit Paudel to the official broadcaster. “But we were playing for the championship, so it was important to win and finish at the top of the table. I’m feeling incredibly happy right now — it’s beyond words. We’ve been dreaming of this moment for the past year. We’ll continue to perform even better and play our best cricket at the World Cup.”
