Looking back at four memorable Nepal-Scotland encounters
As the two teams get ready to battle it out in their League 2 campaign, the Post presents the top hits of their contests over the past decade. Skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel celebrates after guiding Nepal to a crucial victory over Scotland in Kirtipur in February 2023. Post file photo
The Nepali national cricket team is currently at the coastal city of Dundee in eastern Scotland on a mission to improve their position in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. Nepal will play two games each against Scotland and the Netherlands in the competition starting on Tuesday.
This is Nepal’s fourth series in League 2. And it is the third time the Rhinos have travelled to Scotland for cricket. Here are some of the most memorable games Nepal have played against Scotland.
Playing under local Scottish conditions wasn’t easy for Nepal. In a rain-hit match reduced to 36 overs, Scotland posted a total of 235 runs for the loss of 7 wickets on the back of captain Preston Mommsen’s 78 runs off 62 balls and Con de Lange’s unbeaten 55 runs off 41 balls.
Chasing a daunting target, Nepal struggled in the beginning as they lost opener Mahesh Chhetri for 21 off 39 and in-at-three Gyanendra Malla for 18 off 24. But another opener Anil Mandal and captain Paras Khadka put out impressive performances, leading the team agonisingly close to victory.
Khadka scored 70 runs off 55 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. Mandal, on the other hand, went on to score a century with 9 fours and 1 six; he was caught out in the first ball of the last over at 100 off 93.
Nepal needed 25 runs in the final two overs. With Mandal and Khadka on the crease, Nepal looked well on course to victory. But Khadka skied the ball in the 34.4 overs and got caught out. Sharad Veswakar followed him on the next delivery, having been run out. Nepali needed 17 runs in the final over but could only manage 13, suffering a narrow 3-run defeat.
Nevertheless, it was a memorable contest and Mandal’s century—the first by a Nepali player in the World Cricket League Championship—became a source of inspiration and confidence for other Nepali cricketers. Nepal also lost the second game in Ayr by nine wickets.
Nepali bowlers completely dominated Scotland, one of the top associate nations. Sompal Kami and Mohammad Adil Alam took three wickets each; by the time Scotland had reached 95 runs in 30 overs, they had already lost 9 wickets.
Gavin Main stayed not out at 64 off 59, with 7 fours and 1 six, adding 49 runs for the 10th wicket alongside last batter Hamza Tahir (7 off 43). Scotland were bowled out for 144 in 42.5 overs. Alam gave away just 31 runs in his 10 overs, and Sompal conceded only 40 in his full spell.
In turn, Aasif Sheikh led the chase with 71 runs, helping Nepal secure a historic win in just 25.1 overs.
Aasif, who was named the Player of the Match, faced 62 balls and hit 10 fours and a six. He and Kushal Bhurtel gave Nepal a strong start with a 47-run partnership inside the first eight overs. Aasif then added another 48 runs with skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel for the third wicket. Defeating Scotland on their home ground for the first time marked a watershed in the history of Nepali cricket.
Nepal were in a tough position in the inaugural edition of League 2. To retain the One Day International (ODI) status, the team had to win 9 out of its final 12 matches. The Rhinos were playing the second match of this must-win streak against Scotland, and beating them surely wouldn’t be easy. If Scotland had won, they would have been crowned League 2 champions.
Nepali bowlers did their job by bowling out Scotland for 212 runs in 46.1 overs. But by the 32nd over of Nepal’s chase, the team was struggling at 138 for 8. That’s when skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel stepped up to showcase his maturity.
Paudel scored an unbeaten 95 runs off 101 balls, guiding Nepal to victory in 44.1 overs. After hitting the winning boundary off the spell of Safyaan Sharif, Paudel celebrated by flexing his muscles and roaring—a moment of pure emotion that is still alive in the memories of many. He has since described it as the best innings of his career.
Paudel shared an unbroken 75-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Karan KC. KC, who had earlier picked three wickets with the ball, also played a valuable role with the bat, scoring 31 runs off 37 balls with 2 fours and a six.
Nepali bowlers once again dominated Scotland. After losing the toss and being asked to bat first at Grand Prairie Stadium, Scotland were bowled out for just 154 runs in 41.4 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets, while pacers Karan KC, Sompal Kami, and Gulshan Jha took two each. Mark Watt, batting at number eight, top-scored for Scotland with 34 runs off 40 balls.
In what became a memorable win on foreign soil, in-at-six Aarif Sheikh led the way with an unbeaten 51 runs. Later adjudged the Player of the Match, Aarif faced 42 balls and struck 8 fours. He and Jha shared an unbroken 57-run partnership for the sixth wicket, helping Nepal chase down the target within 30 overs.
This was Nepal’s second victory in the 2024–27 League 2 cycle, a result that could breathe new life into the visitors’ challenging campaign.
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