Nepal has announced its 18-member squad for the ACC U19 Asia Cup, organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The one-day format tournament will be held in the UAE.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on Saturday announced an 18-member squad under the captaincy of Hemant Dhami. Arjun Kumal has been appointed as the vice-captain.
Former national cricketer Shakti Gauchan has been appointed as the head coach of the team, while another former national cricketer Dhirendra Chand has been appointed as the assistant coach. Gauchan was the coach of the Lumbini Province team in the U-19 National Tournament held in Biratnagar this week, which finished as the runner-up. Assistant coach Chand, on the other hand, had coached the tournament-winning team, Sudurpaschim.
Hemant, a right-arm fast bowler who made his debut for the Nepali senior national team in February this year, captained the winning team, Sudurpaschim, in the U-19 National Tournament held this week. Dhami took 4 wickets in the final against Lumbini Province and was declared the player of the final as Sudurpaschim won by 8 runs. Vice-captain Arjun Kumal had participated in the U-19 World Cup this year and had also made his debut for Nepal ‘A’ against Ireland ‘A’ in April this year.
Besides Kumal, three other cricketers who were in the Nepali team for the U-19 World Cup held in South Africa in January this year are in the team. Aakash Tripathi of Lumbini Province and Uttam Thapa Magar of Bagmati Province were in the World Cup team. Kumal, Tripathi, and Magar will handle Nepal’s top order in the U-19 Asia Cup. Hemant Dhami, on the other hand, missed the U-19 World Cup at the last moment due to an injury, and his place was taken by left-arm pacer Durgesh Gupta.
Santosh Yadav of Lumbini Province, who was named the player of the tournament in the U-19 National Tournament, has been included in the announced team. Yadav, who had previously represented the Nepali U-16 team, took 27 wickets in 7 matches of the tournament and also scored 181 runs. Left-arm spinner Yadav took 5 wickets (5/28) against Sudurpaschim in the final and 6 wickets (6/19) against Karnali Province in the league stage. Similarly, he took 4 wickets (4/34) against Sudurpaschim, 3 wickets (3/24) against Bagmati, 3 wickets (3/4) against Gandaki, and 3 wickets (3/15) against Madhesh Province in the league stage. He also scored a half-century (63 runs) against Bagmati. Yadav, who showed a brilliant performance in the tournament, is expected to be the backbone of the U-19 team.
After Yadav, Aprajit Paudel of Gandaki Province, a left-arm spinner, has got a place in the team. Paudel took 19 wickets in 6 matches. Another left-arm spinner, Ramesh Kurmi, who also took 19 wickets in the tournament, did not get a place. Ranjit Kumar of Madhesh Province, who has represented the Nepal ‘A’ team as a left-arm spinner, has got a place in the team. Kumar made his List A debut for Nepal ‘A’ against Ireland ‘A’ this year. Kumar took 12 wickets in 6 matches of the U-19 National Tournament.
Yunish Bikram Singh Thakuri, an off-spinner from Karnali Province, has also got a place in the team. Thakuri, who plays for the senior team of Karnali, was among the top 5 wicket-takers in the U-19 National Tournament with 17 wickets in 6 matches.
Sonu Ansari of Koshi Province, who was the highest run-scorer and best batsman in the U-19 National Tournament, has not been included in the team. Ansari scored 209 runs in 6 matches with the help of a half-century. There was a lot of criticism on social media about Ansari’s age.
Roshan Bishwakarma of Bagmati Province, the second-highest run-scorer in the U-19 National Tournament, has been included in the team. Bishwakarma scored 191 runs in 6 matches with the help of 2 half-centuries at a brilliant strike rate of 102.13.
Naren Bhatta of Sudurpaschim Province, who made his debut for Nepal ‘A’ against Ireland ‘A’ this year, has been included in the team. Bhatta, who came into the limelight by scoring a century in the last edition of the Prime Minister’s Cup, scored 174 runs in 7 matches of the U-19 National Tournament. Similarly, Mayan Yadav, a batsman from Madhesh Province who has also played for Nepal ‘A’, is also in the team. Yadav, who scored a century in the Prime Minister’s Cup, made his Nepal ‘A’ debut against the Canada XI. Yadav scored 152 runs in 6 matches of the U-19 National Tournament.
Dilshad Ali, a wicket-keeper batsman from Lumbini Province, has been included in the team. Dilshad scored 110 runs in 7 matches of the U-19 National Tournament with the help of a half-century. Besides him, Uttam Thapa Magar and Arjun Kumal are also wicket-keepers.
Yuvraj Khatri of Sudurpaschim Province has been included in the team as a leg spinner. Khatri, who also impressed with his batting in the U-19 National, took 12 wickets in 7 matches and also scored 142 runs. Sachin Bhatt of Sudurpaschim, who took 15 wickets in 6 matches of the tournament, and Deepak Serala of Bagmati Province, who took 14 wickets in 6 matches, did not get a chance.
The team includes fast bowlers Bipin Mahato of Koshi Province, left-arm pacer Dayanand Mandal of Bagmati Province, and right-arm pacers Abhishek Tiwari and Rajesh Yadav of Madhesh Province. Bipin Mahato took 16 wickets in 6 matches in the U-19 National, including 7 wickets in a single match against Madhes Province. Similarly, Dayanand Mandal took 13 wickets in 6 matches, Abhishek Tiwari took 8 wickets in 6 matches, and Rajesh Yadav took 9 wickets in 6 matches. Abhishek Tiwari has the experience of captaining the Nepali U-16 national team and also plays for the senior team of Madhesh Province.
Announced Nepali U-19 Team:
- Hemant Dhami (Captain)
- Arjun Kumal (Vice-Captain)
- Akash Tripathi
- Uttam Thapa
- Mayan Yadav
- Naren Saud
- Yunish Bikram Singh Thakuri
- Naren Bhatt
- Santosh Yadav
- Yubaraj Khatri
- Roshan Bik
- Bipin Mahato
- Rajesh Yadav
- Dayanand Mandal
- Apramit Paudel
- Abhishek Tiwari
- Dilshad Ali
- Ranjit Kumar
Nepal’s U-19 Asia Cup Schedule
In the U-19 Asia Cup, Nepal will face Sri Lanka on November 29, Bangladesh on December 1, and Afghanistan on December 3. The 50-over tournament will be held in the UAE. The ACC-organized event will feature eight Asian teams, including five Test-playing nations. Nepal, UAE, and Japan qualified for the tournament after securing the top three spots in the ACC Premier Cup last year, where Nepal emerged as the champion by defeating UAE in the final.
The teams are divided into two groups. Nepal is in Group B with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, while Group A includes India, Pakistan, Japan, and UAE. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the final scheduled for December 8.
- November 29: Nepal vs. Sri Lanka (Sharjah)
- December 1: Nepal vs. Bangladesh (Sharjah)
- December 3: Nepal vs. Afghanistan (Sharjah)
