With the T20 world cup qualifiers already kicked off, Nepal has yet another opportunity to compete and leave an impression at the global level. The expectations are higher given the team’s qualification and performance in the 2024 edition of the competition.
The Unity Cup 2025, a bilateral series between Nepal and the West Indies (WI) cricket team that began on 27 September, 2025 became an opportunity for Nepal to prepare for the bigger stage. All the matches were played in Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The odds were highly in favor of the WI given their stature in world cricket. With both experience and skillsets in their arsenal, the caribbeans were expected to dominate. However, a young captain-led Nepal with nothing but enthusiasm and passion was able to snatch a 19 run victory in a low-scoring thriller.
With only 148 runs to defend against the hard-hitters of WI, it was quite a mountain to climb for Nepal. However, economical bowling and disciplined fielding, two consistent contributors of Nepal’s victory in the past proved effective yet again. The spin department of Nepal yet again pivoted the game towards their favor. Out of the 9 total dismissals, 7 wickets were taken by bowlers, 5 of which were taken by spinners, and the remaining 2 by pacers. The improvement in fielding standards was also evident with players like Kushal Bhurtel being able to provide timely runouts. However, there were concerns evident in the batting department despite the victory since only 4 of the Nepali batters were able to get to a double-digit score with Rohit Paudel, the captain of Nepal, and also the Man of the Match (MoM) being the highest run scorer with 38. This highlighted scopes of improvement particularly from the top order to convert their starts into a steady inning and ensure a formidable batting lineup.
With a 1-0 lead in the series, the Nepal team started on a high confidence coming into the second game. By deciding to bat first, Nepal posted a competitive total of 173 in their 20 overs. The start was worrisome with opener Kushal Bhurtel, the Captain, and power-hitter Kushal Malla departing cheaply. However, Aasif Sheikh who is among the most dependable and seasoned openers for Nepal delivered yet again for the team. A century partnership between Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora for the 4th wicket helped steady the innings. Both the batters showcased their boundary-hitting abilities as well as their excellence while running between the wickets. The rotation of strike, the ability to convert singles into doubles helped to keep the scorecard ticking. With both the players being able to convert their starts into big scores and with decent strike rates, Aasif remained not out at 68 off 47 deliveries whereas Sundeep got dismissed for 63 off 39 balls. The middle order with their finishing abilities ensured Nepal crossed the 170 mark in the first innings.
The second innings had a dramatic start with the Nepali bowlers and fielders getting the complete grip of the game. From early dismissals to outstanding catches, Nepal was way ahead. Kushal Bhurtel, even though was not able to contribute with his bat in the first innings, became the showstealer in the end. With his exceptional catch to dismiss Keacy Carty off Karan KC, and taking 3 crucial wickets including one of the dangerous looking Fabian Allen, he ended all the hopes of potential partnerships.
Mohammad Aadil Alam, who was making a comeback into the team after years, made his presence felt through an all-round performance. Aalam scored a quick 11 off 5 in the first innings but really came into the spotlight in the second innings with his bowling spell. During his spell, with an economy of 6.0, he was able to completely dismantle the WI batting lineup picking up wickets of both top and middle-order batsmen including the experienced Kyle Meyers.Both the spin and pace department had their fair share of wickets with 5 wickets for each department. The domination of Nepal bowling led to the collapse of the Windies lineup restricting them to a total of 80. Nepal was able to secure a dominating win over the former world cup winners by a huge margin of 90 runs. This led to a 2-0 lead of Nepal on a 3 match series confirming them as the winners of the series. Aasif was awarded the MoM for his brilliance with the bat.
The second T20I presented multiple positives for Nepal as a complete team effort led to first ever series win over a full-test nation. The match highlighted how conversion of good starts, partnerships, and consistency in the fielding and bowling department can help Nepal give tough competition even to the giants of the cricketing world.
The third T20I of the three-match series had contrasting outcomes. Unlike the last two matches, where Nepal had control over the game, the changes made by them had disappointing results. The strategic move of resting Aasif, promoting Kushal Malla up the order proved to be a failure. The new batters introduced weren’t able to adapt to the conditions and thus the innings collapsed on a mere score of 122. By the end of the first innings, Kushal Bhurtel was the top scorer for Nepal with 39.
The WI bowling on the other hand was exceptional. Ramon Simmonds with his economical spell scalped 4 crucial wickets. The all out bowling attack led by the WI pacers exposed the vulnerability of the Nepali batting. The concerns about getting and converting starts, consistency in the team lineup and performance were evident.
The second innings was also dominated by the WI batters. The change in the lineup affected the standard of the Nepali bowling and fielding, drastically varying from the second match of the series. The expected standards were not met probably due to absence of key players like all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee and economical Lalit Rajbanshi. The openers Amir Jangoo, and Ackeem Wayne Jarrell Auguste had a match winning opening partnership of 123. This led to a dominating 10-wicket victory over Nepal with Ramon Simmonds being judged the Man of the Match.
Words from the legends
The quality of the performance by Nepal surprised the stars of Caribbean cricket including the legendary Ian Bishop, and Carlos Brathwaite, the man who made WI win the 2016 world cup. They applauded the dedication, and commitment of the team, and the ability of a young captain to lead fearlessly.
They also presented their views on how Nepal is an example of the standard of the cricket played by teams at the associate level. They also appreciated the support from the crowd and acknowledged their role in the growth of cricket in Nepal.
Conclusion
The series ended 2-1 in favor of Nepal. Though it was not a clean sweep, there were a lot of positives and learnings for them. First, beating WI and being included in the list of teams beating a full member nation will certainly boost the confidence going into the T20I world cup qualifiers. The opportunity to learn from seasoned players of WI, their approach towards the game will always benefit a progressive cricketing nation like Nepal. The WI cricket board also needs to be appreciated for maintaining the competitive spirit throughout the series and pushing Nepal to bring out their A game every time. Besides the positives, concerns regarding team formation, lineup consistency, and increased dependency on the regular players needs to be addressed before going into the qualifiers of 2026.
