Cricket in Nepal started in the year 1920 AD. The game was introduced by Madan Shumsher Jabra the youngest son of then-prime minister Chandra Shumsher Jabra.
iNTRO TO CRICKET
Historically speaking Cricket as a game was introduced in the 16th century in England. During its initial phase the game was only famous in the local villages of England. But with time Cricket became famous among the higher-class people of the England. Due to which it earned it’s nickname ” The Gentleman’s Game”.
Even though Cricket was famous among the aristocrats during its early stage. But it quickly became quite popular among the people because of its fair play among the players.
Initially, there was only one format of the game which is known as the “Test Cricket “. During those times one game of cricket lasted for 6-7 days and the result could have been a tie , win, or loss.
Later after years of the game, the game got its now famous formats i.e. One Day International and T20 cricket. Besides Test Cricket each format has its own World Cup and associate members from all around the world have to play the qualifiers to qualify for the World Cup while the full members and the host nations are directly qualified for the World Cup.
But today in this blog we aren’t going to focus on different aspects of cricket. Rather we are going to focus on the history and development of the game in Nepal.
History of Cricket in Nepal
Just like in England, Cricket in Nepal was only famous among Royal families in Nepal. The game was played between the close family members and friends of the royal family.
Not only that the game of cricket was only known to the people of Kathmandu as most of the royal people used to reside in Kathmandu. During those times cricket was only played in local ground in Kathmandu called Tundikhel.
The game became popular in other regions only after the establishment of the Cricket Association of Nepal in 1946. After its establishment, CAN began to organize local level tournaments in Nepal. Only after that the cricket gain its popularity.
After 12 years of CAN, the National Sports Council Nepal was formed in 1958. And after two years of its establishment, CAN was included in the National Sports Council.
Even though the game was gaining popularity at the local level, the international cricket council was still unaware of the Nepali Cricket. Nepali Cricket took 40 years to get the affiliate membership from ICC.
First Exposure of Nepal in International Cricket
In 1988 A.D. Nepal got the affiliate membership from the ICC and in 1990 A.D. Nepal was included in ACC associate membership. After getting an associate membership it took 4 years for Nepal to get ACC’s full membership. Later in 1996 A.D., ICC gave Nepal associate membership.
In 1996 A.D. Nepal played its first international tournament i.e. ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur, under the captaincy of Uttam Karmacharya. The performance of Nepal was noteworthy as they finished fourth in the tournament with 4 points. They won against Japan and Brunei in the tournament.
Later in 1998 A.D. , Nepal hosted their very first international tournament i.e. ACC trophy. The overwhelming response from the fans made every other country believe that Nepal was indeed a cricketing nation. The tournament was majorly played on three grounds. They were TU international ground, Pulchowk Ground, and St. Xavier’s ground.
Major ACHIEVEMENTS OF NEPALI CRICKET TILL 2023
Cricket in Nepal is active in international cricket for 33 years now. In these 33 years Nepal have had it’s fair share of achievement ranging from winning against some of the finest team to attaining and retaining the ODI status.
Achievement by Nepali Under 19 cricket
Nepali Under 19 cricket team can be termed as ” The Giant Killer ” due to it’s impressive and fighting performances in ICC tournament. Nepal U-19 team has qualified in most of the ICC U-19 cricket world cups among all the associate members of ICC.
Nepal in 1999/2000 U-19 cricket world cup
In 1999 Nepal qualified for the U-19 cricket world cup for the very first time. Even though the batting performance was quite average, but the bowling performance of the team was quite impressive.
In their first match against South Africa, Nepal had some support from the rain and it resulted in the tie. Even the next match against mighty Pakistan was washed out by the rain.
But in the match against the kenya , Nepal registered it’s first win. In the low scoring thriller , Nepal had only managed to score 107 runs, the match was supposed to be one sided for kenya. But due to the impressive 3 wicket haul from Binod das and Mehboob alam , they managed to restrict kenya to mere 93 runs and nepal managed to win by 14 runs.
This 14 run win against kenya made Nepal qualify for the Super league. They were placed in the group of tough teams like India , Srilanka and England. Due to the very poor batting performance they lost all the three matches.
This tournament gave Nepal the first major taste of the ICC tournament. Nepal also got to play against the future superstars like Dean Elgar, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif. Besides that Nepal also got their future superstars in the form of Binod das and Mehboob alam.
Plate champion in ICC U-19 world cup in 2005/2006
Nepal became the only team from associate members to win a cup in major ICC tournament. Nepal won games against the teams like New Zealand and South Africa in this tournament.
Based on this performance Nepal can easily be named as ” The Giant Killer”. The young nepali team played like an absolute champion in this tournament. The improvement in both batting and bowling were quite visible in this tournament.
In the first match against England, Nepal managed to restrict them to a mere 201 runs. The future cricketing superstar Moen Ali had managed to score 54 runs in this match. But even after the brilliant bowling performance Nepal’s batting was forgetable and they lost the match by 77 runs.
In the next match they had to face against Zimbabwe, Nepal had shown a lot of guts. Even with the likes of players like Sean Williams , Zimbabwe was restricted to mere 201 runs. But Nepal was short of 2 runs while chasing the target. The magic of Graeme Cremer restricted Nepal to mere 199 runs. However the brilliant knock from Kanishka Chaulagain(78) , Sharad Veshwakar(38) and Paras Khadka(28) gave Zimbabwe a lot of trouble.
Due to the loss in two matches Nepal’s chances of qualifying for the super league was over. But they did register their first win against the Ireland U-19s in group stage. While batting first Nepal had managed to post the total of 234 runs. In return Eoin Morgan led Ireland got all out for 174 and Nepal won by 60 runs.
Journey to Plate championship
But the tournament was far from over for the Nepali boys as they still had a chance to compete for the plate championship. For the first match against Uganda Nepal only managed to post a total of 192 runs. As always, Nepal’s bowling came to the rescue, so Nepal managed to restrict Uganda to a mere 132 run.
After a comprehensive win against Uganda , Nepal had to face against mighty South African U-19 team in semi final. In this important match against south africa , Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. The in form batsman Kanishka scored the highest 59 runs and Gyanendra malla also managed to score 46 runs. Due to their contribution , the team managed to score 214 runs.
In the second innings , Nepal showcased a brilliant bowling performance. Only the Star batsman Dean Elgar managed to score 66 runs. The 3 wicket haul from Basant Regmi helped Nepal win by 2 runs in the semi final.
In the final Nepal had to play against the great New Zealand where the players like Tim Southee and Martin Guptill were present. After winning the toss New Zealand U-19s chose to bat first. Due to the brilliant performance by Todd Astle, they somehow managed to get to the score of 204 runs.
In that game against New Zealand Nepal saw the glimpse of their first bowling superstar , Basant Regmi. Nepal managed to limit the opponent because of his 3 wicket haul .
Coming back to the game Nepal started the chase really well but after the openers got out, the team came in all sorts of trouble. But basant regmi again came to the rescue with a bat and scored a 66 runs and Nepal won the plate championship by just 1 wicket.
Nepal in 2016 U-19 world cup
Nepal has qualified for ICC U-19 world cup in 7 occasions. They have qualified in years 2000 , 2002 , 2004 , 2006 , 2008 , 2012 and 2016. But they have only managed to qualify for the second round in two occasions and 2016 was one of them.
In the 2016 World Cup Nepal looked like a dangerous team. The tournament was the first time the world came to know about the spinning sensational Sandeep Lamichhane.
Coming into the tournament, Nepal was placed in one of the strongest group in world cup. With teams like New Zealand , Ireland and India in the group , the chances of Nepal going into the quarter final looked slim.
In the first match against New Zealand , the opponent had won the toss and elected to bat first. Due to the contribution from Raju rijal(48) , Aarif Sheikh(39) and Kushal Bhurtel(35*) , Nepal managed to reach to 238.
Nepal striked early in the game due to the brilliance of Sandeep Lamichhane and Prem Tamang. But , Glenn Philips brilliant half century made New Zealand come back into the game. Neverthelesss after the wicket of Glenn Nepal bowled out New Zealand for mere 206 runs and secured an unrealistic win.
The second match against the Ireland was the first time when world recognized Sandeep’s talent. The magician got a 5 wicket haul with an economy rate of just 2.7. Due to his performance Ireland could only manage to score 131 runs.
Even after losing the wicket in very first ball , Nepal comfortably registered their second win. Yogendra Singh Karki scored an unbeaten 61 runs in the game.
The Fall of 2016
In the next game against India, Nepali batting collapsed. And in return, India dominated the match. Due to the brilliance of Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant, India managed to register a dominating win.
However , Nepal had already qualified for the quarter final. They met Bangladesh in that match. Even though Nepali boys showed a lot of guts. They still went on to lose that match by 6 wickets with just 10 balls remaining.
This world cup was very special for Team Nepal as in this tournament Nepal got it’s first international superstar in the face of Sandeep Lamichhane. Nepal’s future national stars like Dipendra Singh Airee , Kushal Bhurtel and Aarif Sheikh also played in this world cup.
Achievement by Nepal’s National Cricket Team
From 2000 to 2014, Nepal’s cricket story is one of impressive progress. It all started with their youth development policy bearing fruit as the under-19 cricket team grabbed the eighth spot in the 2000 World Cup. As the years went on, the senior team made their mark by reaching the semi-finals in the ACC Trophy and stepping onto the ICC Trophy stage in 2001.
The journey took a significant step forward in 2003 when Nepal hosted and utterly dominated the ACC Emerging Nations Tournament. The emergence of talents like Raju Khadka, who scored a century, added a special touch. By 2004, Nepal was playing first-class cricket in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, engaging with teams like the UAE and Malaysia.
Fast forward to 2006, and Nepal etched their name in cricket history with a remarkable 10-wicket victory over Myanmar. Their excellence extended to winning the ACC Premier League. But challenges also arose, as they fought in various ACC Cups, ACC Twenty20 events, and ICC World Cricket League matches.
The highlight of this period was undoubtedly their triumph in the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five. Sharad Vesawkar’s century and their standout performances in ACC tournaments stood out. Their dedication was evident in events like the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers, where players like Subash Khakurel and Anil Mandal notched up centuries, and the thrilling tie against the UAE in the ACC Trophy Elite.
As the years progressed, Nepal’s presence in ICC tournaments remained strong. They showcased their mettle in the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers, securing a spot in the prestigious 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Their journey during this time was marked by significant milestones, growing recognition, and a passionate fan base that made them a force to be reckoned with in international cricket.
Attaining a T20 Status and Playing 2014 world cup
After reaching to the semi finals of ICC T20 world cup qualifier , Nepali Team got an automatic qualification to the world cup. In Nepal fans were out of the world after the qualification.
Even though Nepal didn’t qualify for the next round. But their performance in the 2014 world cup was extra ordinary. Our team had shown a lot of guts in the tournament.
In the very first match against Hongkong , Nepal had managed to register their first ever world cup win. After winning the toss Hongkong had invited Nepal to bat first. Due to the brilliance of Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla , Nepal managed to reach to 149 runs.
While chasing non of the Hongkong batsmen looked in form but for Nepal Shakti Gauchan was in his prime. The world class spinner managed to take 3 wickets of Hongkong. As a result , Nepal won the match by 80 runs.
In the next match , Nepal had to face against Bangladesh who were much stronger in comparison to Nepal. After batting first Nepal posted a total of 126 runs which was easily chased down by Bangladesh with 8 wickets in hand.
The Last Over Drama
The world cup drama was still not over for team Nepal as in third match they had to face against their arch rival Afghanistan. Before world cup Nepal had lost to many semi finals and finals against Afghanistan.
Nonetheless , team Nepal had other plans in mind for the world cup. In the game against Afghanistan , Nepal managed to score 141 runs. The brilliant half century by Subash Khakurel gave Nepal a respectable total.
The game was on and Nepal’s bowling also looked top-notch. At the start of their inning, Afghanistan team lost their 5 wickets in just 50 runs. The bowling partnership of Jitendra Mukhiya and Sompal Kami had done the work for Nepal in powerplay. In the middle over the legendary bowlers, Basant Regmi and Shakti Gauchan had done their work as well.
The game was going in the direction of Nepal but Asghar Afghan and Shafiqullah had other plans. Due to their brilliant batting Afghanistan were still in the game.
The match went to the last over where Afghanistan needed 24 runs to win. Sompal Kami came to bowl the last over of the inning and in the fifth ball, he took the wicket of Asghar Afghan. Thus, Nepal won the match by 8 runs.
Jitendra mukhiya was named the man of the match for his brilliant spell where he took 3 wickets. In his spell of 4 overs , he only gave 18 runs with an outstanding economy of 4.50.
Due to their brilliant performance in the world cup, Nepal was awarded T20 status on 28 June 2014. Sadly the rhinos lost the T20 status in the next world cup qualifier as the team performed horribly in the next T20 qualifier.
Attaining and Retaining the ODI status
Nepal’s cricket journey has been a mix of triumphs and notable achievements. They secured a respectable fourth place in the 2015 ICC World Cricket League Division Two, which earned them a spot in the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship. However, they narrowly missed out on advancing to Division One. A standout player, Basanta Regmi, made history by becoming the first bowler to take 100 wickets in the League.
In a heartwarming move, Nepal hosted a special tribute match in April 2015 to honor Phillip Hughes. Despite their efforts, they faced disappointments in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, falling short of qualification.
The year 2018 brought pivotal moments for Nepal. They achieved ODI status after a victory against Papua New Guinea in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. This milestone also marked their return to Twenty20 International (T20I) status. With ambitions set high, Nepal aimed for Test status, acknowledging that this aspiration might take around ten years. Their inaugural ODI series against UAE ended in a 2-1 victory, with Paras Khadka scoring Nepal’s first ODI century and Sundeep Jora setting a record as the youngest player to score a T20I half-century.
A significant development occurred in October 2019, as the suspended Cricket Association of Nepal was reinstated as an ICC member. This phase marked a turning point, shaping Nepal’s cricket landscape for the future and setting the stage for upcoming endeavors.
Retaining the ODI status
Due to turmoil in CAN , Nepali team was going towards the downwards direction. The politics was ruining the game of Nepali team.
After acquiring the ODI status , the Rhinos were directly selected for the 4 year long ICC World League Division 2. Nepal was viewed as one of the favorites in the tournament.
But due to the internal turmoil , the performance of the team was degrading. As a result team was in the verge of losing their ODI status as well.
In the first 24 matches , Nepal had lost 15 matches. They had only managed to win 8 matches and 1 match of washed out by the rain.
The dream of playing in the world cup qualifier was almost over. Even the hard earned ODI status was going away. Nepal had to win 8 more matches to save their ODI status.
The Comeback
But Nepali Team had some other plans in mind. Who knew they were planning for the heroic ending for this dramatic tournament.
After a lost against Scotland in December 2022 , Nepal appointed a new head coach in the face of ” Monty Desai ” . Monty had a huge responsibility in hand as Nepal was totally out of form in this tournament.
Under the leadership of Monty , Nepal played it’s first match against Namibia who were in great form. While batting first they managed to score 285 runs.
Nepal had to bat their guts out as they had never chased down such a huge target. But they did and won the match against Namibia by just 3 wickets.
After that performance there was no stopping for team Nepal as they won next 10 matches out of 11. Their awesome performance saved the ODI status. Furthermore , they also secured a direct qualification to the world cup qualifiers.
Performance in World Cup Qualifier 2023
Nepal went to the qualifier on a very high note. Even though they weren’t seen as a tournament favorite but tough battle was expected from Nepal.
In the first match against the test nation and host Zimbabwe , Nepal registered their highest ever opening stand of 171 runs. Kushal Bhurtel who scored 99 runs was looking in great form in that match due to which they managed to score 290 runs.
However the lack of experience was clearly visible in that match as they eventually lost the match by 8 wickets. The overall performance in this tournament worked as an eye opener for the Nepali Team.
Almost every team figured out a weakness of Nepal. In the remainder of the tournament they fell to the short ball tactics of other team.
But , they also won the matches against some of the good sides like USA and UAE . In the last match against Ireland , they played their guts out but they lost.
Conclusion
Nepal has seen a lots of ups and downs in the world of cricket. The young team of Nepal is performing quite well. They are playing the Asia Cup in 2024 and U-19 team is going to play the world cup again. What kind of performance are you expecting from the team Nepal ??
A very informative and an aesthetic post.
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