The second edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 kicks off at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday, with hosts Nepal taking on Namibia in the first of the 24 tri-series that form a part of qualification process to the 2027 Cricket World. The opening tri-series also features the Netherlands.

The League 2 also consists of Canada, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The competition has been extended to eight teams from the previous inaugural seven-team League 2 that ran from 2019 to 2023.

Each tri-series will consist of six matches and the competition will have a total of 144 one-day internationals throughout the League 2 cycle. Each nation will host three tri-series and play further six series away from home for a total of 36 matches.

The top four teams from the League 2 will automatically progress to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

The bottom four teams can still make it to the World Cup Qualifier but will have to compete in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff which will also include the top four teams from the Cricket World Cup Challenge League. The top four teams in the playoff will advance to the World Cup Qualifier. Teams failing to secure automatic qualification to the World Cup based on the ICC ODI rankings will also join the Qualifier.

Nepal, Namibia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, League 2 champions Scotland and Oman are returning to the League 2 after featuring in the last editions, while the Netherlands and Canada are the new entrants.

Scotland were expected to be promoted to the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League but after the International Cricket Council said there will not be a second edition of the Super League, the Scots remained in the competition. The Netherlands joined the fray after having previously played in the 2020-2023 Super League. Canada were promoted to the League 2 after they finished above Jersey and Papua New Guinea in the last edition’s Qualifier-playoff.

Papua New Guinea, who finished at the bottom of the 2019-2023 League 2, were relegated to the Challenge League.

Nepal will be brimming with confidence as they are coming off a 3-0 series sweep against Canada. Rohit Paudel’s side will also be looking to continue the momentum from the last League 2 cycle’s historic run when they won 11 of their last 12 ODIs to pip Namibia to the third place and automatic Qualifier spot. Only the top three teams qualified for the World Cup Qualifier in the last League 2.

“We are more confident now and hope to get the League 2 off to a fine start with this home tri-series,” said captain Paudel, whose side are also participating in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June and July in the US and the West Indies.

Coach Monty Desai has recalled U-19 captain Dev Khanal and in-from Anil Sah for the League 2 after the duo impressed with the bat during the bilateral series sweep against Canada. Sah scored an unbeaten century– his first ODI hundred–in Nepal’s nine-wicket victory against Canada in the third ODI on Monday. Sah also smashed the fastest fifty for Nepal when he reached the score off just 19 balls in the second ODI. Khanal hit 76 runs off 81 balls in the series-clinching second ODI win. Khanal recently captained the Nepal U-19 team to the Cricket World Cup. It was his character and gritty half-century that gave Nepal a famous one-wicket win over Afghanistan and a spot in the Super Six stage.

Nepal will be without Dipendra Singh Airee in the first match of the tri-series. Aerie, who has been named in the 15-member squad, is playing for Gulf Giants in the International League T20 in the UAE. Karan KC and Gulsan Jha, who were rested in the Canada series, are back. Prime Minister Cup’s leading wicket taker Surya Tamang (30 wickets), who made his international debut last week, has retained his place in the national fold. Aakash Chand, whose five-wicket haul had set the tone for Nepal U-19’s victory over Afghanistan in the World Cup, has been left out after he featured in the Canada series.

Hurt and wounded Namibia will be looking for revenge after the Rhinos’ extraordinary run dropped them to the playoff in the last League 2 cycle. Namibia eventually missed out on the World Cup Qualifier as well, after finishing behind the US and the UAE in the playoff.

The Netherlands will be early favourites alongside the Scots. The Dutch had beaten Scotland in the run rate in the last World Cup Qualifier to qualify for the 2023 India World Cup.

Oman, who finished second in the last League 2 cycle, will also be in the mix for the top four race.