Nepal has dominated the ACC U-16 Men’s East Zone Cup since its inception in 2017, winning all four editions held so far. This time, apart from a closely fought final, Nepal comfortably won all five of its other matches. In the final, Singapore made Nepal work hard to chase a modest target of 114. Despite two batting collapses, Nepal clinched victory by 2 wickets—thanks to Joy Thapa, who held his nerve and remained unbeaten on 24.
This year, the ACC opted for a 50-over format, a change from the previous 35-over structure. Five Nepali batters finished in the tournament’s top 10 run-scorers, including leading scorer Raunak Srivastav, who was named Player of the Tournament for his 296 runs in six innings. He lit up the tournament with a stunning 168 off 132 balls against Bhutan. Srivastav recently made headlines at the domestic U-16 Nationals in Surkhet, where he scored 217 off 117—the first double century at the age-group level in Nepal.
Prashiddha Jaishi also impressed with a century (132 against Indonesia), while Parimarjan Yadav finished with the tournament’s highest strike rate (190.78), including two fifties. Before this tournament, only Rit Gautam (2017) and Naren Bhatta (2023) had scored centuries for Nepal at the U-16 level.
Captain Bipin Sharma led the bowling charts with 17 wickets and was named Best Bowler of the Tournament. Another left-arm spinner, Shubham Khanal, secured third place on the wicket-takers list with 12 wickets.
It wasn’t just the wins that pleased Nepali fans—it was the way the young batters approached the game. Even in the recently concluded ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Asia Qualifier, Nepali batters showed attacking intent. Three finished among the top six run-scorers: skipper Naren Bhatta scored 118 runs at a strike rate of 110.28, Niraj Patel made 87 runs at 129.85, and Sahil Patel added 118 at 86.13. Although Nepal missed out on World Cup qualification—after their final group game against Afghanistan was washed out due to morning rain—there were clear signs of progress. Afghanistan topped the table thanks to a superior net run rate.
The influence of T20 cricket is evident even in the 50-over format. As international cricket evolves, Nepal must keep pace—and glimpses of that evolution are already visible in the senior men’s team. From chasing three consecutive 275+ totals at home to nearly overhauling 297 and getting close to 323 on the recent Scotland tour, the batters are stepping up. Centuries are becoming more frequent.
While Rit Gautam has struggled to replicate his U-16 and U-19 success at the senior level, Dev Khanal and Arjun Kumal—both of whom scored multiple centuries at U-19—have shown flashes of potential. Kumal scored a century against Ireland Wolves for Nepal ‘A’ last year and followed it up with a match-winning hundred for Madhesh Province in the Prime Minister’s Cup—his first in the tournament’s history. Dev Khanal has already made his senior team debut and has three fifties to his name, though he has been in and out of the side since 2022.
There’s every chance Bipin Sharma, who has already featured in the Nepal Premier League, might break into the senior team in the next few years. Shubham Khanal could follow. But how far will players like Raunak, Parimarjan, Prashiddha, Joy, and Shiwansh go? Their next steps are the U-19 and provincial teams. Only time will tell.
Historically, Nepal has struggled while chasing totals—especially big ones. But the stats have improved over the past two years, thanks to more exposure, better pitches, and a shift toward positive cricket. Still, it’s unrealistic to expect Parimarjan Yadav to start smashing international bowlers at a strike rate of 200 overnight, or Niraj Yadav to charge down the pitch and dominate from the start. Likewise, Naren Bhatta or Prasiddha Jaishi—both well-suited to the 50-over format—won’t walk into the senior team and score centuries in their debut innings. But the potential is there.
Kushal Bhurtel has already shown that it’s possible to play aggressive, attacking cricket against quality bowlers. Perhaps someone from this new crop will match or even surpass him.
As the senior team battles to retain its ODI status and chase a World Cup spot, these U-16 players will push for U-19 inclusion, while U-19 standouts will challenge for senior team spots via domestic tournaments and Nepal ‘A’ matches. This competitive environment in the batting department is healthy—it fosters consistency and positive intent.
Five years from now, Nepal should no longer be searching for batters who can play with aggression and intent. By then, those batters must have already arrived.