Kathmandu, Poush 23 (2082) . The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a 15-member Nepali national team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Rohit Poudel has been given the responsibility of captain and Dipendra Singh Airi as vice-captain in the team announced yesterday (Tuesday) evening.
Squad Details: The team selected for the World Cup features a great mix of experienced and young players.
Captain: Rohit Poudel, Vice-Captain: Deependra Singh Airee, Key Players: Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Sheikh.
Full squad: Rohit Poudel (captain), Deependra Singh Airi (vice-captain), Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Asif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Sandeep Jora, Arif Sheikh, Bashir Ahmed, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla and Lokesh Bam.
Group & Fixtures: Nepal has been placed in ‘Group C’. This is considered the ‘Group of Death’ where Nepal will compete against Test nations.
Opponents: England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy.
First match: Nepal will begin their World Cup campaign on February 8 (Falgun 26) by playing against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Main attractions:
Sandeep’s Magic: It has been analyzed that the presence of experienced spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in the team has made Nepal’s bowling attack world-class.
New faces: Young talents like Sher Malla and Nandan Yadav have also made it to the World Cup squad, which shows the team’s strong bench strength.
Kane is preparing to send the team to India soon for farewell and final preparations.