Nepal Take Three Wins from Oman Tour as World Cup Qualification Race Moves to Kathmandu

KATHMANDU — Nepal finished its latest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series in Oman with three wins from four matches, a run that gives the national side encouragement ahead of a decisive home qualifying tournament in December. The matches were played at Al Amerat, with Nepal recording two victories over Oman and one against Canada before returning home on 20 October.

Results across four matches

Nepal began the series by defeating Canada by 24 runs on 11 October. They followed that with a 113-run win over Oman on 13 October, after making 263 for eight and dismissing the hosts for 150. Canada responded with a 24-run victory on 17 October, scoring 256 before restricting Nepal to 232. Nepal then finished the tour with a 10-run win over Oman on 19 October: Nepal posted 280, and Oman reached 270 for seven.

The three victories show that Nepal were able to build and defend competitive totals during the tour. The final match was particularly close, while the defeat to Canada underlined the need to maintain control through the middle and closing stages of a 50-over game. A successful series is useful momentum, but the team will need consistency against a broader field in the next competition.

December play-off will decide the next step

Kathmandu is scheduled to host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off from 4 to 21 December 2026. The eight-team event will bring together the four bottom-placed teams in League 2 and the top two teams from each of the two ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League groups.

Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Namibia and Canada are the League 2 participants. Italy and Uganda have qualified from Challenge League Group B, while the Group A qualifiers were still to be confirmed in the reports reviewed for this article. The four best-performing teams in the play-off will progress to the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, scheduled to be jointly hosted by South Africa and Namibia.

What Nepal must improve

The Oman results offer reasons for optimism, but the path ahead is demanding. Nepal will need dependable top-order contributions, partnerships that keep the innings on track, and bowling plans that can adapt as conditions change. Fielding and decision-making will also matter in a competition where a single close finish may influence qualification.

Playing at home could bring familiarity and strong support, but it will also bring expectation. The team must use the time before December to review both the wins and the loss, identify areas for improvement and prepare for opponents with different strengths.

Nepal’s planned three-match series against India A, originally listed for 9, 11 and 13 December, overlaps with the play-off. The Cricket Association of Nepal has said those dates will be revised in coordination with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. A replacement schedule had not been announced in the reports reviewed for this article.

The Oman campaign gives Nepal a positive starting point. The December tournament in Kathmandu will be the more consequential test, with four qualification places available and the national team needing to convert its recent form into sustained results.

Sources: Gorkha Sports; The Kathmandu Post.