Skipper Paudel hopeful of making Nepal proud at T20 World Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 18: With a positive mindset, Nepal are heading into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 7 February.

   Nepal men’s national team captain Rohit Paudel said preparations for the global showpiece have been going well.

“We are all excited to play the World Cup in Mumbai. It is in India, which is close to home. 2025 was excellent for us, and we hope to start 2026 in the same way. We are hopeful of making Nepal proud,” skipper Paudel said.

He made the remarks during the farewell function organised by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in Kathmandu on Saturday.

    The CAN bade farewell to the squad as they embark on a preparatory series in Sri Lanka and India before the World Cup. The team will leave on Sunday. They will first travel to Sri Lanka to play a three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka A on 20, 22 and 24 January.

After Sri Lanka, the squad will move to India for their second phase of training, facing the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President’s XI in Mumbai on 29 and 31 January.

    Paudel said the practice series in Sri Lanka and India will be a strong build-up for the World Cup. “The one-week preparation at Extra Tech has also been fruitful, as the pitch there is similar to Mumbai. The Sri Lanka tour will be very important for us. All the consulting coaches will join there, and planning and roles will be decided.”

Nepal’s group matches in the World Cup are scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

     “There is an advantage playing in Mumbai as the conditions are similar to here. The wicket in Mumbai is very good, which will benefit the batsmen. But we must focus on all departments. We need to prepare our bowling and fielding to restrict opponents to low scores. The role of the bowlers will be crucial. 

    We have planned according to the conditions and hope to execute well in the World Cup.”

The final squad for the tournament has already been announced. Paudel said the team is balanced and motivated. 

Head Coach Stuart Law also expressed confidence in his players. 

       “We will be finalising our plans in the practice series. I am hopeful the players will give their all and make the nation proud.”

After practice series, Nepal will play official warm-up matches. Nepal may get the chance to face Test nations in the official warm-up matches, though the ICC has not yet revealed the fixtures. 

    Unable to secure series against Test sides, Nepal are playing Sri Lanka A and the MCA President’s XI instead.

CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand admitted the difficulty in arranging stronger opposition. 

“Due to various reasons, we could not manage warm-up series with Test nations ahead of the World Cup,” Chand said at the farewell function. He expressed hope that Sri Lanka would field a strong side against Nepal.

CAN Secretary Paras Khadka said the world is watching Nepal as they appear in the global tournament for the third time. “Players have a big responsibility. We are hopeful of reaching the second round. 

We also hope Nepali fans will travel to Mumbai to support the team. I wish all the best to the players, management and supporters,” Khadka said.

Nepal are drawn in Group C alongside two-time champions England and West Indies, Bangladesh, and debutants Italy. 

They will begin their campaign against England on 7 February.