NEPAL MAKES HISTORY: ‘Cardiac Kids’ Qualify for Third T20 World Cup, Second Straight Appearance
16th October 2025, Kathmandu
The Nepal National Cricket Team has secured its spot in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the third time overall, marking an incredible second consecutive T20 World Cup qualification.
NEPAL MAKES HISTORY Cardiac Kids
This monumental achievement was confirmed during the Super Six stage of the ICC T20 World Cup Asia & East Asia Pacific Qualifier in Oman.
Nepal’s progression was sealed mathematically after the UAE’s victory over Samoa, ensuring the team’s place with two crucial matches still to play.
The victory, particularly on Omani soil, writes a new history for Nepalese cricket. After a ten-year wait to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup (their first appearance since 2014 under Paras Khadka), the current team, led by Captain Rohit Paudel, has shown remarkable consistency by backing it up immediately.
Preparation Paves the Way: The Impact of Coach Stuart Law
This qualification is a testament to the team’s rigorous training schedule, which included a training camp in India, the T-20 series in Australia, and a historic 2-1 series victory over the West Indies.
The team’s current success has coincided with the tenure of Australian Head Coach Stuart Law. His famously viral comment, “I hate losing,” embodies the new, disciplined, and high-performance culture he has instilled.
Law’s strategic brilliance and commitment to tough Australian cricketing standards have been key.
Under his coaching, Nepal secured a significant 2-1 series win against the Test-recognized nation, a major strategic victory and a powerful demonstration of the team’s development.
Rohit Paudel: Nepal’s Most Successful T20I Captain
At the heart of the team’s golden run is Rohit Kumar Paudel. Having taken the reins during the 19th Asian Games in 2023, he has become the most successful captain in Nepalese T20I history.
His leadership has delivered the highest success rate compared to the previous four captains.
Paudel, set to be one of the youngest captains leading a team in the T20 World Cup again, has played his 50th T20I as captain during this qualifier, celebrating the milestone with a victory.
Under his command, the team has played 53 T20I games, registering an impressive 30 wins. His defining statement from the previous qualifier, “Our main goal is T20 World Cup qualification,” has now been fulfilled, back-to-back.
Bowling and Fielding: The Match-Winning Foundation
While batting performances have been inconsistent, the team’s success in this tournament has been overwhelmingly built on exceptional Nepalese bowling and fielding. In all four wins during the competition, the defensive unit has been the decisive factor.
Batting Highlights: Key contributions came from Kushal Bhurtel (66 vs. Kuwait), Aasif Sheikh (51 vs. UAE), and Rohit Paudel (58 vs. Qatar). Gulshan Jha has played his role perfectly, providing aggressive, lower-order firepower when needed.
Defensive Prowess: Dipendra Singh Airee’s ‘direct hit’ fielding has been a tournament highlight. The team is known to concede momentum early but consistently fights back with a brilliant bowling and fielding display after the first 10 overs, saving matches when the middle-order batting falters.
The ‘Cardiac Kids’ Thrill: Winning the Unwinnable
The global cricketing community has nicknamed Nepal the ‘Cardiac Kids, ’ a reference to their flair for snatching unexpected and dramatic victories. Their last two games are perfect examples:
vs. UAE (Super Six): Chasing a target of 141, the UAE needed 3 runs from 3 balls when Dipendra Singh Airee triggered a collapse. The aggressive Dhruv Parasar was caught, followed by a dramatic run-out on the next ball. Nepal won by a nail-biting 1 run, leaving the UAE 139 runs short.
vs. Qatar (Super Six): Defending a target of 148, Nepal needed to save 9 runs in the final over. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was handed the ball. He delivered a masterful final over, conceding only 3 runs and taking 2 wickets to secure a 5-run victory, bowling Qatar out for 142.
This thrilling qualification has ignited huge excitement, confirming Nepal as a rising force in global T20 cricket and setting the stage for an electrifying performance at the next T20 World Cup.
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