Concerns Over National Team Form Intensify Ahead of ICC T20 World Cup

The Nepal national cricket team is confronting a significant shortage of reliable alternative players following the conclusion of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). Despite the tournament serving as a high-profile platform for emerging talent, established national team stars and domestic hopefuls struggled to maintain consistency. This lack of form creates a selection challenge for leadership as the team prepares for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in February, hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The tournament began with high expectations for players like Lokesh Bam, who scored 72 runs in his opening match for the Biratnagar Kings. However, Bam failed to sustain this momentum across subsequent fixtures, eventually being moved down the batting order. His experience mirrored that of several other domestic players who were expected to challenge established national starters like Aasif Sheikh but failed to deliver consistent results throughout the competition.

The current national squad remains heavily reliant on a core group of players including Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, and veteran bowlers Sompal Kami and Karan KC. Data from recent international fixtures indicates that the team is highly competitive when these individuals perform but remains vulnerable when they lose form. For instance, in a recent series against the West Indies, Nepal secured two notable victories when middle-order batsmen contributed, but suffered a 10-wicket loss when the opening partnership and bench players failed to produce runs.

Statistical analysis of the past year shows that outside of Kushal Bhurtel, who scored 505 runs in 17 innings, the primary batting lineup has struggled. Senior players such as Rohit Paudel and Aasif Sheikh recorded 327 and 316 runs respectively during the same period. The NPL was intended to identify new batting options, yet foreign players dominated the scoring leaderboards, raising questions about the adaptability of local players to the spin-friendly pitches at the home venue.

Bowling remains another area of strategic concern as veteran pacers Sompal Kami and Karan KC have shown a decline in wicket-taking efficiency. Their reduced impact has placed an increased burden on the spin department, led by Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi. While domestic bowlers like Sher Malla and Sahab Alam showed promise during the NPL, the lack of consistent batting support from the “Nepal A” pool suggests that the national team may have limited options for rotation.

As Nepal prepares to enter the “Group of Death” in the upcoming World Cup—facing powerhouse nations such as England and the West Indies—the technical staff faces the task of finalizing a roster from a stagnant talent pool. Analysts suggest that without the emergence of reliable secondary players, the team’s ability to progress to the Super Six stage will depend entirely on the fitness and immediate form of its long-standing veterans.