If there is one clear pattern in Nepal’s batting during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in the Netherlands, it is repeated failure. Nepal’s batting has been consistently disappointing, with frequent collapses and low totals.

After losing their opening two matches, by eight wickets to Namibia and six wickets to the Netherlands, Nepal’s hopes of finishing in the League 2 top four and securing direct qualification for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier have all but disappeared.

The consequences stretch beyond the standings. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to unveil the structure that will follow the current League 2 cycle, Nepal are expected to travel to Namibia for a World Cup Qualifier playoff. That would add another demanding assignment to an already packed international calendar in 2026.

The numbers expose the problem. Including the two defeats in the Netherlands, Nepal have now lost 12 of their 18 away matches in League 2. In those games, they have failed to reach 200 while batting first on five occasions. Against both Namibia and the Netherlands, Nepal were dismissed for an identical 157. Even at home, where conditions are more familiar, Nepal have been bowled out below 200 three times in 12 League 2 matches.

The batting order has become painfully predictable. Once either opener Aasif Sheikh or Kushal Bhurtel falls, Nepal’s innings either slows to a crawl or unravels completely. The middle order rarely manages to recover.

The coaching staff has tried to find answers but without conviction. After Nepal suffered a crushing 102-run defeat to Oman in February, head coach Stuart Law dropped the established opening pair and promoted Binod Bhandari and Arjun Kumal. The experiment lasted only briefly before Aasif and Kushal were restored.

There have been occasional bright spots. Two months ago, Ishan Pandey not only scored heavily against the United States and Scotland but also provided Nepal with a much-needed left-handed presence at the top of the order. Yet, like the rest of the batting lineup, he has struggled for runs in the Netherlands.

Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee was instrumental in Nepal winning six of eight home League 2 matches against the UAE, Oman, the United States and Scotland earlier this year. However, he, captain Rohit Paudel and Aarif Sheikh have all failed to produce consistent performances in the middle order since then.

Gulshan Jha, whose game revolves around power hitting, has repeatedly thrown away promising starts. He has also failed to make use of the tactical advantage that left-handed batters bring, particularly in disrupting bowlers’ rhythm and field settings. By the time Nepal enter the final powerplay, they are often already under pressure.

Nepal’s lower order has offered little rescue. Although Gulshan, Sompal Kami and Karan KC are all regarded as all-rounders, they have been unable to compensate for the repeated failures of the specialist batters. Sompal and Karan have occasionally produced valuable innings, but they are too often left with an impossible task after the top order collapses.

The contrast with 2023 is striking.

That year, Nepal produced arguably their finest 50-over cricket. They won 11 of their 12 League 2 matches to qualify directly for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier. They also secured a historic first appearance at the Asia Cup by progressing through the qualifying tournament.

At the Asia Cup itself, Nepal impressed despite defeats. They bowled well early against Pakistan in Multan and posted 230 against India in Kandy.

Even before that, during the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, Nepal’s batting looked capable of competing against stronger opposition. They scored 290 for eight against Zimbabwe, chased 212 comfortably against the United States inside 43 overs, made 238 before being bowled out in the final over against the West Indies, successfully chased 183 against the UAE inside 44 overs, and finished with 268 for nine against Ireland. Only against the Netherlands did they struggle badly, managing 167.

Those performances suggested Nepal’s batting was moving in the right direction.

Instead, the decline began almost immediately after.

The current League 2 cycle started in Kathmandu in February 2024 against Namibia and the Netherlands. Ironically, just before that series, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus had described Nepal as the strongest Associate nation.

Nepal responded by being bowled out for just 132 against Namibia, their lowest total of the current League 2 cycle.

Across four matches against Namibia and the Netherlands in that home series, Nepal failed to cross 200 in every game, including three occasions while batting first.

The personnel have changed only slightly.

Eight members of the playing XI that faced Namibia two-and-a-half years ago remain in the current squad. Only Anil Sah, Kushal Malla and Pawan Sarraf have been replaced, with Ishan Pandey, Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh taking their places. Yet the new faces have not solved Nepal’s long-standing batting issues.

One decision by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) also raised questions. While the home League 2 series was still underway, CAN unexpectedly permitted Dipendra to play in the UAE’s ILT20 league. Nepal’s performances dipped noticeably during that period.

The opening two matches in the Netherlands have also highlighted Nepal’s struggle to adapt to unfamiliar conditions. Within the first 15 overs, they have consistently lost key top-order wickets, leaving the middle order to rebuild under pressure.

Preparation may also have played a role.

Before travelling to Europe, Nepal had only competed in the Asian Games qualifying tournament in Singapore. Their only 50-over warm-up matches came against Jersey, a British Crown Dependency located in the English Channel, whom they defeated comfortably twice. But Jersey sit well below Nepal in the international hierarchy and offered little preparation for the far sterner challenge awaiting in the Netherlands.

The difference compared to previous European tours is significant.

Before travelling to the Netherlands for the World Cricket League Championship in 2016, Nepal played five warm-up matches in England, including one against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), before winning one of two matches in the Netherlands.

A similar approach paid off last year.

Ahead of the League 2 series in Scotland, Nepal again played several practice matches in England. The result was their most successful overseas League 2 campaign.

Nepal won three of four matches in Dundee, defeating the Netherlands twice and Scotland once. They chased Scotland's imposing target of 297 with one ball remaining, the highest successful run chase in Nepal’s ODI history at the time. They then comfortably chased the Netherlands’ 225 with five wickets in hand. Although they lost to Scotland in another run chase after scoring 321, that remains Nepal’s highest total in One-Day Internationals. They finished the tour by beating the Netherlands again after posting 236.

Just 14 months later, that batting unit appears almost unrecognisable. The confidence and fluency shown in Scotland have been replaced by uncertainty and repeated collapses.

Weak batting has increasingly defined Nepal’s League 2 campaign.

Under former coach Monty Desai, Nepal endured a difficult tour of Canada in 2024, failing to win any of their four scheduled matches, losing three while one was abandoned.

The following year brought an even lower point. Under Stuart Law, Nepal travelled to the UAE and lost all four League 2 matches, suffering two defeats each against the UAE and the United States. It marked the first time Nepal had gone through an entire League 2 series without a single victory.

Now, after opening the Netherlands tour with two more defeats, Nepal face Namibia on Monday before taking on the Netherlands again on Wednesday.

Avoiding another unwanted chapter in their League 2 history will require more than tactical adjustments. It demands a dramatic improvement with the bat, the one area that has steadily dragged Nepal from one of Associate cricket’s most exciting ODI teams into one struggling simply to post competitive totals.