Nepal will vie against Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the first of the two-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Tuesday. The second match of the bilateral series will be played on Friday.

Both Nepal and PNG are playing in the bilateral ODI series to fine tune their preparations for the Tri-Series of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. The match will kick off at 11:15 NST.

Nepal will play the Tri-Series of the League 2 involving hosts Oman and the USA from September 13 to 20. PNG are also scheduled to compete in the Tri-Series of League 2 against hosts Oman and Scotland from September 25 to October 2.

Nepali team left for Oman on August 26 to prepare for the ODI series.

Captain Gyanendra Malla-led Nepal will be without their experienced player Paras Khadka as he had announced his international retirement from the game on August 3. The Oman tour will also be the last assignment for Nepal's veteran coach Dav Whatmore who has already announced his resignation from the post during the ongoing Oman tour.

Meanwhile, PNG are also playing a bilateral ODI Series against the USA. In the first of the two-match series against the USA, they faced a seven-wicket defeat. They were bowled out for 158 runs in 44.2 overs as only four players managed to produce double-digit scores. USA chased the target in 28.2 overs for the loss of three wickets.

Nepal currently sit sixth in the League 2 table featuring seven teams—Oman, the USA, Scotland, Namibia, the UAE and PNG. Each team will play 36 ODIs when the event concludes in February 2023.

Nepal have so far played four matches in the three-year League 2 cycle and have registered two wins and two defeats. Oman lead the standings winning eight of the 10 matches played. The US are second in the standings with six wins out of 12 matches played and PNG are at the bottom having lost all eight matches played so far.

The event is the gateway to the World Cup as the teams finishing in the top three will secure berths in the World Cup Qualifiers. The bottom four will compete in the World Cup Qualifiers playoff set to take place in Zimbabwe in June and July of 2023.

Nepali Squad

Gyanendra Malla (captain), Dipendra Singh Airee (vice captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Aarif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Binod Bhandari, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Pawan Sarraf, Abinash Bohara, Rohit Paudel, Sushan Bhari, Sharad Vesawkar, Bikram Sob.