Nepal takes on UAE in U19 Cricket World Cup Asia Qualifier Opener

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 9: The Nepali youth cricket team will kick off their campaign in the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 Asia Qualifier with a match against the UAE. 

The Cricket Association of Nepal published the fixtures for the qualifiers on Tuesday. The qualifiers will be held at Mulpani, Kathmandu, from April 13 to April 19. Nepal, the UAE, Oman, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong are vying for a spot in the World Cup. 

The winner of this Division 1 event will qualify for the U19 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

The tournament will feature 16 teams, including five from regional qualifiers. Hosts Zimbabwe, defending champions Australia, and teams from Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the West Indies have already secured their spots in the 2026 U19 World Cup.

Nepal will face the UAE in their opening match at Lower Mulpani Cricket Ground on April 13. Their second match, against Oman, will take place at Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground on April 14. 

Nepal will play their third and fourth matches against Hong Kong and Afghanistan at Lower Mulpani on April 16 and April 19 respectively.

Meanwhile, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the squad for the qualifiers. Under the captaincy of Naren Bhatt, CAN has selected a 14-member final squad. The team includes Abhishek Tiwari, Niraj Kumar Yadav, Sahil Patel, Cibrin Shrestha, Roshan Biswakarma, Darsh Sonar, Dilsad Ali, Santosh Yadav, Ashok Dhami, Dayanand Mandal, Aprajit Poudel, Yuvraj Khatri, and Bipin Prasad Sharma.

Nepal reached the Super Six stage in the 2024 U19 World Cup held in South Africa.