Nepal CWC League 2 Journey: ODI Status and World Cup 2027
Nepal Cricket's Journey From a Difficult Start to the Fight for Sixth Place
Nepal's journey in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 from 2024 to 2026 was full of wins, losses, pressure and important comebacks.
Nepal entered the tournament with the aim of reaching the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, the team did not make the start that fans expected.
The journey began at home in 2024 and continued until the final series in Oman in October 2026.
After a difficult period, Nepal fought to improve its position in the points table. The final goal was to finish in sixth place.
But what happened to Nepal's World Cup qualification chances? What is the current situation with Nepal's ODI status? And what can the team learn from this tournament?
In this article, we look at Nepal's complete CWC League 2 journey, important matches, player performances, ODI status and the road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
What Is ICC CWC League 2 and Why Is It Important for Nepal?
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 is an international ODI tournament for Associate cricket teams.
It is an important part of the qualification process for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
The current cycle began on 15 February 2024.
Eight teams compete in this tournament.
- Nepal
- United States of America (USA)
- Scotland
- Netherlands
- Oman
- Namibia
- Canada
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Each team plays 36 ODI matches during the League 2 cycle.
The top four teams in the final points table qualify directly for the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
The remaining four teams must compete in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
Every win is important because each result affects the team's points and final position.
For Nepal, this tournament is also important because of its connection to the team's future ODI status.
2024: Nepal's Difficult Start at Home
Nepal began its new ICC CWC League 2 campaign on 15 February 2024 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
The first match was against Namibia.
Nepal had the support of home fans but failed to make a good start.
The team was all out for just 132 runs.
Namibia chased the target and won the match by four wickets.
It was a disappointing beginning for Nepal.
However, Nepal made a strong comeback in the second match against the Netherlands.
Nepal's Nine-Wicket Victory Against the Netherlands
On 17 February 2024, Nepal faced the Netherlands in its second League 2 match.
Nepal's bowlers performed very well and bowled out the Netherlands for 137 runs.
Nepal then chased the target in just 15.2 overs with only one wicket down.
The team won the match by nine wickets.
This victory gave Nepali cricket fans new hope.
But Nepal could not continue the same performance in the remaining two matches.
The team lost its next matches against Namibia and the Netherlands.
As a result, Nepal won only one of its first four home matches.
Canada Tour 2024: Nepal Continues to Struggle
In September 2024, Nepal travelled to Canada for another important League 2 series.
Nepal faced Canada and Oman during the tour.
However, the results were disappointing.
Nepal lost three matches.
One match against Oman ended without a result because of rain.
The team could not collect enough points and remained near the bottom of the League 2 table.
Several problems became clear during this period.
Nepal struggled to build strong opening partnerships. The batting unit also found it difficult to handle pressure after losing early wickets.
These poor results made the remaining League 2 matches even more important.
2025: Nepal Starts Its Comeback Journey
By the middle of 2025, Nepal was still in a difficult position.
At the end of May 2025, Nepal had collected only six points from 12 matches.
The team was at the bottom of the eight-team points table.
This was very different from Nepal's amazing comeback in the previous League 2 cycle.
In 2023, Nepal won 11 of its final 12 League 2 matches and qualified for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Nepali cricket fans hoped to see another comeback.
June 2025: Nepal Shows Improvement in Scotland
The League 2 series in Scotland became an important part of Nepal's journey.
Nepal started the tour with a close victory against Scotland on 2 June 2025.
Scotland set Nepal a target of 297 runs.
Nepal chased the target with nine wickets down and won the match by one wicket.
This victory showed that Nepal could chase a big total under pressure.
On 4 June, Nepal defeated the Netherlands by five wickets.
On 8 June, Nepal lost to Scotland by just two runs.
Despite the defeat, Nepal played competitive cricket.
On 10 June, Nepal defeated the Netherlands again. This time Nepal won by 16 runs.
These results showed improvement in Nepal's batting and overall team performance.
However, Nepal still needed more consistent results to improve its position in the League 2 table.
2026: An Important Year for Nepal Cricket
The year 2026 brought several important home matches for Nepal.
Nepal faced the UAE, Oman, Scotland and USA in ICC CWC League 2.
After poor results in the previous years, Nepal needed to win more matches and collect valuable points.
Nepal's Home Victories Against the UAE
On 25 April 2026, Nepal defeated the UAE by 37 runs.
It was an important victory for the home team.
On 1 May 2026, Nepal won another close match against the UAE by six runs using the DLS method.
These two victories gave Nepal confidence and made home supporters happy.
Nepal vs Oman: From a Heavy Defeat to a Strong Comeback
On 29 April 2026, Oman defeated Nepal by 102 runs using the DLS method.
It was a difficult loss for Nepal.
However, the team returned with a better performance in the next meeting.
On 5 May 2026, Nepal defeated Oman by 81 runs.
Nepal batted first and scored 256 runs.
Oman was then bowled out for 175 runs.
Aasif Sheikh played an important innings of 94 runs from 97 balls.
He received the Player of the Match award for his performance.
This victory showed that Nepal could perform well with both bat and ball.
Nepal's Strong Performances Against Scotland and USA
On 18 May 2026, Nepal defeated Scotland by six wickets.
Scotland was all out for 194 runs.
Nepal chased the target in 38.1 overs and finished on 199 runs for four wickets.
Rohit Paudel scored an unbeaten 74 runs.
Ishan Pandey also made an important contribution with 55 runs.
Four days later, Nepal produced another strong performance.
On 22 May 2026, Nepal defeated the USA by 122 runs.
Nepal scored 317 runs for eight wickets.
In reply, the USA was bowled out for 195 runs.
The match showed Nepal's batting strength and effective bowling.
However, Nepal's poor results from the earlier part of the tournament made a top-four finish very difficult.
Sandeep Lamichhane's Captaincy and the Role of Young Players
Sandeep Lamichhane took over Nepal's ODI captaincy during the later part of 2026.
Under his leadership, Nepal entered the final Oman Tri-Series with an important goal.
Sandeep's leg-spin bowling was a major part of Nepal's bowling attack.
Other bowlers also played important roles during the campaign.
These included Nandan Yadav, Karan KC, Lalit Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singh Airee.
In batting, Nepal received contributions from several experienced and young players.
Rohit Paudel, Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Dev Khanal, Ishan Pandey and Basir Ahamad all played important roles.
One important lesson from this League 2 campaign was the need for consistent team performance.
Nepal could not depend on one star player in every match.
Strong partnerships, better finishing and regular contributions from the whole team were necessary.
October 2026 Oman Tri-Series: Nepal's Final Four Matches
Nepal's final stage of the ICC CWC League 2 campaign took place in Oman in October 2026.
Nepal played two ODI matches against Canada and two against Oman.
Before the series, a top-four finish was no longer a realistic target.
Nepal needed to improve its position and fight for a place in the top six.
11 October 2026: Nepal Beats Canada by 24 Runs
Nepal started the Oman Tri-Series with an important victory against Canada.
Nepal batted first and scored 235 runs.
Rohit Paudel played a brilliant innings of 101 runs from 127 balls.
His century helped Nepal reach a competitive total.
Canada was bowled out for 211 runs.
Nepal won the match by 24 runs and collected two valuable points.
It was a positive beginning to the final series.
13 October 2026: Nepal Defeats Oman by 113 Runs
Nepal's second match of the series produced one of its strongest performances.
Nepal faced the home team Oman on 13 October 2026.
Nepal batted first and scored 263 runs for eight wickets in 50 overs.
Rohit Paudel scored 61 runs.
Arjun Kumal made 40 runs.
Ishan Pandey and Basir Ahamad contributed 37 runs each.
However, Karan KC played the most aggressive innings near the end.
He scored 40 runs from only 16 balls.
His innings included four sixes.
Oman needed 264 runs to win.
But Nepal's bowlers controlled the match.
Nandan Yadav took three wickets for just 12 runs in six overs.
Captain Sandeep Lamichhane also took three wickets while giving away 28 runs in nine overs.
Dipendra Singh Airee took two wickets.
Oman's captain Vinayak Shukla played a fighting innings of 77 runs.
However, Oman could not build enough partnerships.
The team was all out for 150 runs in 40 overs.
Nepal won by 113 runs and collected another two points.
Nepal vs Oman Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 263/8 | 50 |
| Oman | 150 all out | 40 |
Result: Nepal won by 113 runs.
Top Nepal Batter: Rohit Paudel - 61 runs.
Fast Finishing: Karan KC - 40 runs from 16 balls.
Leading Nepal Bowlers: Nandan Yadav and Sandeep Lamichhane - three wickets each.
17 October 2026: Canada Beats Nepal by 24 Runs
After two straight wins, Nepal faced Canada again on 17 October.
Canada batted first and scored 256 runs.
For Nepal, Lalit Rajbanshi took four wickets.
Sandeep Lamichhane also took three wickets.
Nepal needed 257 runs to win.
Arjun Kumal played a strong innings of 87 runs from 112 balls.
But Nepal could not build enough partnerships.
The team was all out for 232 runs.
Canada won by 24 runs.
After this result, Canada had 29 points and Nepal had 28 points.
Nepal needed to win its final match against Oman to move ahead of Canada.
19 October 2026: Nepal's Final League 2 Match Against Oman
On 19 October 2026, Nepal played its 36th and final match of the CWC League 2 cycle against Oman.
This was an important match for Nepal's final position in the points table.
Nepal batted first and scored 280 runs in 50 overs.
Rohit Paudel scored 80 runs.
Dipendra Singh Airee added 69 runs.
Dev Khanal also played an important innings of 57 runs.
The partnership between Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee was a major part of Nepal's batting performance.
Nepal was struggling at 99 runs for three wickets.
Rohit and Dipendra then built a 139-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Their partnership helped Nepal recover and reach a strong total.
For Oman, Shah Faisal took five wickets.
Before the match, Nepal was in seventh place with 28 points.
Canada was in sixth place with 29 points.
Nepal needed a win to reach 30 points and move ahead of Canada.
After the match, captain Sandeep Lamichhane said that Nepal had reached sixth place in the League 2 table.
The Asian Cricket Council also congratulated Nepal for retaining its ODI status.
However, a separate official announcement from the ICC about Nepal's ODI status for the next cycle was still awaiting confirmation when this article was prepared.
What Did Nepal Achieve in the ICC CWC League 2?
Nepal's League 2 campaign was not easy.
The team struggled during the early part of 2024.
The Canada tour also brought disappointing results.
By 2025, Nepal was facing serious pressure in the points table.
However, important victories against Scotland, the Netherlands, UAE, USA and Oman helped Nepal improve.
During the final Oman series, experienced players and young talents played important roles.
The team continued to fight for a better final position.
Nepal's Important Victories in League 2
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2024 | Netherlands | Nepal won by 9 wickets |
| 2 Jun 2025 | Scotland | Nepal won by 1 wicket |
| 4 Jun 2025 | Netherlands | Nepal won by 5 wickets |
| 10 Jun 2025 | Netherlands | Nepal won by 16 runs |
| 5 May 2026 | Oman | Nepal won by 81 runs |
| 18 May 2026 | Scotland | Nepal won by 6 wickets |
| 22 May 2026 | USA | Nepal won by 122 runs |
| 11 Oct 2026 | Canada | Nepal won by 24 runs |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Oman | Nepal won by 113 runs |
Note: This table includes selected important victories. It is not a complete list of all 36 matches.
Did Nepal Retain Its ODI Status?
Nepal first received ODI status on 15 March 2018.
The team achieved this milestone after defeating Papua New Guinea in the World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
In 2023, Nepal made a strong comeback in League 2 and kept its place in international ODI cricket.
However, the situation became difficult again during the 2024 to 2026 cycle.
Before the final Oman series, Nepal was near the bottom of the points table.
The team needed to compete with Canada for sixth place until the final match.
After Nepal's important performance against Oman, the Asian Cricket Council published a congratulatory message.
The ACC stated that Nepal had retained its ODI status after a complete performance in a crucial match.
This was positive news for Nepal Cricket and its supporters.
However, an ACC congratulatory message and an official ICC decision are not the same thing.
At the time this article was prepared, a separate ICC announcement about Nepal's ODI status for the next qualification cycle had not been confirmed.
Fans should follow official ICC updates for the final decision.
How Can Nepal Qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup?
Nepal's League 2 journey is over, but its dream of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup is still alive.
Nepal did not finish among the top four teams in League 2.
As a result, Nepal must follow the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off route.
The Play-off includes the bottom four teams from League 2.
Four more teams come from the ICC Challenge League.
This makes a total of eight teams.
The top four teams from the Play-off move to the Final Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Nepal must perform well in this tournament to reach the next stage.
After reaching the Final Qualifier, Nepal must again finish in a qualifying position.
The 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The tournament is scheduled from 2 October to 21 November 2027.
A total of 14 teams will participate.
Four teams will enter the World Cup through the Final Qualifier.
This means Nepal still has a route to the World Cup, but the team must perform well in both qualification stages.
Nepal's Road to the 2027 World Cup
- Nepal finishes outside the top four in CWC League 2.
- Nepal enters the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
- The top four Play-off teams reach the Final World Cup Qualifier.
- The leading four teams in the Final Qualifier earn World Cup places.
- Successful qualification gives Nepal a place in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
This is the remaining qualification pathway for Nepal.
What Can Nepal Learn From Its League 2 Journey?
Nepal has talented players and the ability to compete against strong Associate teams.
However, good performance in a few matches is not enough in a long tournament.
The team needs consistency in batting, bowling and fielding.
1. Improve Top-Order Batting
Nepal lost early wickets in several important matches.
This created pressure on the middle order.
Sometimes one or two players scored important runs, but they did not receive enough support.
Better opening partnerships can help Nepal build stronger totals.
2. Build Strong Middle-Order Partnerships
In ODI cricket, a team needs to use its 50 overs carefully.
Regular partnerships between middle-order batters are very important.
Players such as Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee can play a major role in this area.
If Nepal builds more partnerships, the team can score bigger totals and handle pressure better.
3. Maintain Bowling and Fielding Consistency
Nepal has several effective bowling options.
Sandeep Lamichhane, Nandan Yadav, Karan KC and Lalit Rajbanshi delivered important performances during the campaign.
However, the bowling unit must perform well in different match conditions.
Fielding also needs attention.
Taking catches, creating run-out chances and avoiding unnecessary runs can make a big difference.
4. Make Better Decisions Under Pressure
Nepal reached strong positions in some matches but failed to finish the game.
Such mistakes can be costly during World Cup qualification tournaments.
The team needs to choose the right batting approach and make better bowling changes.
Players must also understand match situations and respond with calm decisions.
Conclusion: What Is Next for Nepal Cricket?
Nepal's ICC CWC League 2 journey was full of challenges.
The campaign began with a defeat against Namibia at home in February 2024.
It continued through difficult tours, important victories and a final match against Oman in October 2026.
Nepal faced many disappointing results along the way.
However, victories against the Netherlands, Scotland, USA, Canada and Oman helped the team remain competitive.
The final stage brought strong pressure as Nepal fought for sixth place in the points table.
Now the next major goal is qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Nepal cannot reach the Final World Cup Qualifier directly through League 2, but the Qualifier Play-off route is still open.
The team must learn from its mistakes and improve its performance in the next qualification matches.
Nepali cricket fans continue to hope that Nepal will play in another ODI World Cup.
Do you think Nepal can qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup? Share your opinion in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nepal CWC League 2
How many matches did Nepal play in CWC League 2?
Nepal had 36 ODI matches scheduled in this League 2 cycle.
The final match was against Oman on 19 October 2026.
When did Nepal first receive ODI status?
Nepal first received ODI status on 15 March 2018 after defeating Papua New Guinea in the World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
Is Nepal out of the 2027 ODI World Cup qualification race?
No. Nepal missed direct entry to the Final Qualifier through League 2.
However, the team still has an opportunity through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
Did Nepal retain its ODI status?
The Asian Cricket Council congratulated Nepal for retaining its ODI status.
However, a separate official ICC announcement for the next qualification cycle was still awaiting confirmation when this article was prepared.
Where will the 2027 ODI World Cup take place?
The 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.