The Twenty20 World Cup is an important platform to build self-confidence that Nepal is also present somewhere on the world stage.
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Indian cricket is Bombay cricket. It is also called Mumbai. Bombay has now become Mumbai. Mumbai is the home of cricket, Wankhede Stadium. This is where Nepal is starting the ICC Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.
That too by playing against England, the strongest team in the tournament. The tournament, which will include a total of 20 teams, will start on Saturday. India and Sri Lanka are the two host countries of this World Cup.
England is the team that has been in the most rhythm in Twenty20 cricket lately. Nepal is in Group 'C' of the tournament. As many opponents as there are, all of them are strong. England and West Indies are the two most successful teams in the history of this World Cup, based on being champions twice. The challenge posed by Scotland and Italy will also not be small. Perhaps the closest competition among the four groups of the tournament can be expected here.
When Nepal presents itself in the face of this tough challenge, that will be its opportunity. It will be a real test. Moreover, this will be the biggest world game stage that Nepal is going to play in the history of Nepali sports.
In such a situation, what will Nepal's performance be? Nepali cricket team captain Rohit Poudel is so confident that he directly says, 'The goal is the last eight.' Is this possible? The answer to this lies with captain Rohit.
He said, ‘Initially, the goal of Nepali cricket was to play the World Cup. That was achieved. Then it was continuous selection. Now that too has been achieved. We are playing the World Cup continuously. Now our aim is to take it a step further and perform well in the competition.’ Nepal played the Twenty20 World Cup for the first time in 2014. Then in 2024, Nepal played the World Cup for the second time.
‘We are capable of giving a good performance in this World Cup. We have not only defeated the West Indies in Twenty20 cricket, we have also won the series against them. We are very close to winning against Bangladesh and South Africa. Now our goal will be to win against big rivals.’ The victories in the two official warm-up matches of this World Cup must have also boosted the Nepali spirit. Nepal first defeated the UAE, then Canada.
Nepal’s batting order was largely in rhythm in both these matches. Wankhede Stadium itself is considered comfortable and conducive for batters. That is why Nepal's batting is encouraging. In Rohit's own words, the team led by him will have to play well, because it will inspire the new generation after him to love cricket, not only that, but also to see cricket as its future. Moreover, it will further increase the popularity of cricket in Nepal.
Rohit says, 'As many players as we are now, we were inspired by the first Twenty20 World Cup played by Nepal in 2014. Now the new generation should be inspired by our game.' Along with Nepal, the USA, Netherlands, Namibia, Oman, Italy, Scotland, Canada and UAE are playing in the tournament as associate countries. Cricket pundits believe that the performance of associate countries has improved further in recent times. This trend will continue.
England's Will Jacks, Nepal's first opponent in the tournament, also told the media in Mumbai, "We have heard a lot about Nepali cricket recently, Nepali cricket has made a lot of progress in the meantime. We are expecting a tough challenge in the first match against Nepal." England has been the best-performing team in T20 cricket since the 2024 World Cup in the US.
Suryakumar's best wishes to Nepal
Indian T20 cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav said that he would like to wish the Nepali team all the best and success in the upcoming World Cup. He also said that he is happy with the progress of the Nepali team. In an interview with Kantipur, he said, "I always have a positive attitude towards Nepali cricket. I wish the Nepali team success and wish them all the best."
He said that there is a place for any team to perform on the cricket field and Nepal also needs to prove itself there. He said, "The cricket field is a place for everyone to prove themselves. This is where Nepal has to do well. Nepali cricket should show what it has on the field as much as possible. The Nepali team should focus on this. I want to give this message to the Nepali team and Nepali cricket fans."
Suryakumar also wanted to give some suggestions to the team playing at the Wankhede Stadium. It is believed that the cold can play a big role in the evening match at Wankhede. Regarding this, he said, "There is no need to focus too much on what role the cold will play, because it is not in our hands. We only have our performance in our hands. Sometimes the cold benefits the batting team and sometimes it does not. Therefore, it would be better for the team to focus on their own game."
