Sita Rana Magar has been with the Nepali women’s cricket team for nearly two decades. She was part of the team when Nepal made their international debut through the ACC Women’s Tournament in Malaysia in July 2007.

Ever since, Magar has played several international tournaments for the country, and she is the only player from the first batch to be playing to date. However, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier is the biggest tournament that Magar, as well as the overall Nepali women’s team, has ever played. The qualifier is also the biggest-ever ICC women’s event that Nepal has hosted.

Nepal’s women’s team, who have not yet received ODI status, are yet to debut in the T20 World Cup. And this was the first time that they made it to the final qualifier of the T20 main event, that too at home.

The home side got knocked out of the road to the World Cup after losing to Scotland by 72 runs in their final group-stage match at the TU International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

The team, however, has not felt demotivated after being unable to capitalise on the chance at their first Global Qualifier.

“With this team, under the guidance of head coach Harshal Jayant Pathak and the support from the Cricket Association of Nepal, we will soon be playing in our maiden World Cup,” Magar said in the post-match press conference.

Magar informed that she had planned to retire after the Qualifier. “However, with the arrival of Harshal sir and the promise of this team, which I believe is the best-ever women’s team to date, I could not resist deciding to play for a couple of more years,” she added.

“Everyone can see the improvement of Nepali women’s cricket after the arrival of coach Harshal,” said Magar. “It is certain that a coach like Harshal sir came in late. But from now on, we will have sufficient time to prepare and qualify for the World Cup next time.”

Magar had a good spell with the ball against Scotland. She bagged a wicket while giving away only 18 runs in her four-over spell. Similarly, Manisha Upadhyay picked four, Rubina Chhetry claimed three, and Riya Sharma and Kabita Joshi took one wicket each as Scotland were bundled out for 140 runs in the last ball of the 20th over.

Scotland were 17/3 at 2.4 overs. But knocks from the middle order—by Sarah Bryce (18 off 18), Alisa Lister (22 off 24), Megan McColl (17 off 14), Priyanz Chatterji (45 off 28) and Rachel Slater (11 off 14)—saw the Scottish side reach a defendable total.

“We had planned to restrict Scotland to 120 and chase it,” Magar said. “But they reached 140. It forced us to try big shots in the chase, a step that did not end in our favour.”

There were only three players—Bindu Rawal (14 off 13), Chettry (10 off 8) and Roma Thapa (14 off 11)—who scored in double figures for Nepal. In a big blow for Nepal, skipper Indu Barma departed at 5 off 5 on a stretcher after an injury in her leg.

With Upadhyay (2 off 5) getting struck leg before at 13.5 overs, and Barma not being able to return and play, Nepal’s chase ended at 68 runs.

After the defeat, the players looked dejected. But a huddle inside the ground—where head coach Pathak and Cricket Association of Nepal Cricket Manager Binod Das addressed the team—appeared to lift their spirits.

With the CAN planning to revamp women’s cricket by increasing investment and implementing a long-term plan, the governing body of Nepali cricket believes that Pathak is the right person to oversee the work.

“Harshal has been appointed not only as the head coach of the senior women’s team but of overall women’s cricket,” said Das during the official reveal of Pathak as the head coach on December 23. “The CAN is planning to revamp women’s cricket in the country. And Harshal will lead it.”

Pathak had argued that while Nepal had the chance to qualify for the World Cup by finishing as one of the top four teams in the Qualifier, he did accept that if the result did not go in their favour, ‘it would not be the end of the world’.

“The Qualifier is a tournament we want to win. Even if we don’t, it is not the end of the world,” Pathak had said. “There will be better days ahead.”

And the team has placed their belief in Pathak.

Speaking to the media after Nepal’s win over Zimbabwe on Saturday, which was Nepal’s first victory over a full member, Player of the Match Puja Mahato had said that the team was doing great under the guidance of Pathak. “We are going to improve further,” Mahato, vice-captain of the senior women’s team, added.

Pathak has signed a two-year deal with the CAN.

Super 6 teams finalised

While Nepal bowed out of the tournament, the six teams progressing to the next stage got finalised on Monday.

From Nepal’s Group B, the Netherlands, Scotland and Thailand have qualified for the Super 6 as the top three teams. Bangladesh, Ireland and the USA finished as the top three teams from Group A.

The six teams will be playing in a single round-robin format. A team will not face their group opponents in the Super 6, as they will carry the points from the group stage. At the end, the top four teams will book their tickets to England and Wales for the Women’s T20 World Cup.