Nepal in final preparation

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has arranged for all 20 teams participating in the World Cup to play 2-2 practice matches in America and West Indies, according to which Nepal will play Canada on Monday and America three days later. On the first day of practice, Oman will play Papua New Guinea and Namibia will play Uganda. Sri Lanka and Netherlands on Tuesday, Bangladesh and USA, Australia and Namibia, Afghanistan and Oman on Wednesday will play practice matches before the World Cup.

Nepal will play both matches at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas. Nepal will start their Twenty20 World Cup tour by playing against the Netherlands on June 4 at this ground. Then they will play against Sri Lanka in Florida, USA on June 11, South Africa on June 14 in St. Vincent, West Indies and Bangladesh on June 16.

The Nepali team arrived in Florida in the first week of May. After a week, the Nepalese team reached St. Vincent in the West Indies and played two practice matches with the home team and returned to America. Nepal played two practice games with Houston Hurricanes in Houston, USA.

Nepal, who achieved success in the Super Over after the first match was tied, defeated the Hurricanes by 27 runs in the second match on Saturday. Nepal could score only 122 runs after losing 6 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs.

Captain Rohit Paudel scored the highest 41 runs. He hit 2 fours in 41 balls. Opener Kushal Bhurtel scored 23 off 31 balls with 2 fours and Gulshan Jha scored 14 runs off 15 balls with 1 four. In the lower order, Sandeep Zora scored 12 runs in 13 balls and Sompal Kami remained unbeaten with 12 runs in 10 balls. Asif Sheikh 1, Anil Shah 4, Kushal Malla 2 runs were dismissed in the Nepali innings where no sixes were hit. Imran Khan Jr. and Zia Sehzad took 2 wickets each from Hurricanes.

Despite Sehzad's 35 off 29 balls, the Hurricanes were bowled out for 96 in 18.3 overs at the Prairie View ground. Player of the match Sehzad hit 1 four and 2 sixes. Lahiru Milantha and Imran scored 16 runs each. Milantha, who went to Kathmandu last year and played in the Nepal Twenty20 League from Lumbini All Stars, was unfortunate for the Hurricanes to run out. Others from the Hurricanes failed to score in double figures.

Karan KC took 3 wickets from Nepal. He spent 14 runs with 1 maiden in 3 overs. Sompal took 2 wickets for 12 runs in 4 overs and Rohit, Avinash Bohra and Sagar Dhakal took 1 wicket each. After the match, the Nepali team that left Houston has arrived in Dallas. Nepal is trying to soak in the conditions by playing with the local team.

Canada is under the training of former Nepal coach Pubudu Dasanayake. The Canadian team has arrived in Dallas after playing a practice match in St. Kitts, West Indies. A week before the World Cup, there were reports in the media that Canada had fired Pubudu, but it was later denied by Cricket Canada.

Nepal played the only previous Twenty-20 World Cup in 2014 under Pubudukai's training. Pubudu, who coached Nepal for the first time in 2011, returned in 2015 and later became the coach of the United States. Although he became the coach of Nepal again in 2022, Pubudu's tenure lasted only 6 months. After returning from Nepal, he became the coach of Canada.

In February, the Canadian team came to Kathmandu for the training of Pubudu and played a series of three one-day internationals and Nepal 'A'. Canada then traveled to Dubai and tied 2-2 with the UAE and Scotland to top the World Cup Cricket League 2 after winning all four matches. Canada is playing India, Pakistan, Ireland and USA in the group stage of the Twenty20 World Cup. Canada will open its World Cup tour against neighboring rivals USA on June 1 in Dallas.