Rohit Kumar Paudel wanted to play for the senior men’s team after Nepal’s maiden participation in the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Twelve years later, he has lived his dream to a great extent—taking Nepal to two T20 World Cups and becoming Nepal’s most successful captain.

It took Nepal a decade to return to the T20 World Cup. Paudel stood not out at 34 off 20, with Aasif Sheikh (64 off 51), to help Nepal defeat the UAE by eight wickets in the semifinal of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier Final and qualify for the main event.

Similarly, Paudel was the third-highest run scorer for Nepal—scoring 134 runs in six games—in the Asia & EAP Qualifier, from which Nepal progressed to their third T20 World Cup in 2026.

Paudel was not just a crucial player in the two qualifiers for the last two editions of the T20 World Cup, but also led Nepal as the captain.

However, in April 2026, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) ended Paudel’s role as the captain of the shortest format and gave the reins to one of the world’s best T20I all-rounders, Dipendra Singh Airee.

Four months later, Paudel has now been stripped of his captaincy in the ODI format as well.

Issuing a statement on Monday, CAN revealed that Paudel has been replaced as the national team skipper in one-day internationals by Sandeep Lamichhane. The governing body of Nepali cricket, however, did not reveal the reason behind the change in captaincy—neither during the change in T20 nor in one-day.

Rohit’s journey so far

Paudel was just shy of 16 when he debuted for Nepal in the ODI against the Netherlands at Amstelveen on August 3, 2018.

In November 2022, Paudel was appointed the captain of the national team after CAN had to drop former captain Lamichhane due to a legal case against him. Paudel’s captaincy then guided Nepal to historic milestones.

Paudel’s captaincy had a quality start as Nepal won 11 of their last 12 League-2 matches in the previous cycle (2019-2023) and finished as one of the top three teams to progress directly to the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

It was under his leadership that Nepal also qualified for their maiden Asia Cup in 2023. There, Nepal played against India and Pakistan in the group stage.

Paudel’s biggest achievements as the captain of the Nepali team were two consecutive T20 World Cups.

Nepal not only qualified for the T20 World Cup consecutively but also left their mark on the international stage by taking the game to the last ball against the likes of South Africa in 2024 and England in 2026.

And it was again Paudel at the helm when Nepal defeated the West Indies 2-1 in a three-match T20I series in Sharjah last year. It was Nepal’s first bilateral series against an ICC Full Member.

Paudel led Nepal as the captain in 59 T20Is and 63 ODIs. Under his captaincy, Nepal won 33 T20Is and 31 ODIs. He is also Nepal’s longest-ever serving captain. He is followed by Paras Khadka (27 T20Is and six ODIs), Sandeep Lamichhane (18 T20Is and 14 ODIs), Gyanendra Malla (12 T20Is and 10 ODIs) and Dipendra Singh Airee (6 T20Is).

Paudel also has the most caps for Nepal in ODIs. He has played 88 one-day matches for Nepal and is also the one with the most runs in the format. He has scored 2,313 runs in the 50-over game, which include two centuries and 12 fifties.

At 16 years and 146 days old, Paudel became the youngest male batsman in history to register a 50 in One-Day International cricket, after hitting 55 runs off 58 balls against the UAE in January 2019.

In T20Is, Paudel is fourth in the list of players with the most matches for the national team. In 84 T20Is, Paudel scored 1,845 runs, putting him behind only Kushal Bhurtel (2,325 runs in 80 matches) and Airee (2,220 runs in 100 matches).

Paudel has also bagged 14 wickets in T20Is and 11 in ODIs.

Praises pour for Rohit

After the announcement of the change in ODI captaincy, the Nepali cricket fraternity sought one thing: a thank-you post by CAN for Paudel’s contribution to Nepali cricket.

And the cricketing body delivered it on Tuesday.

“Thank you, Rohit, for carrying the hopes of a nation and leading Nepal with passion, dedication and unwavering determination,” CAN wrote on its social media on Tuesday morning. “Your commitment to the team, the country, and the game has always been an inspiration. We are confident that you will continue to serve Nepal with the same spirit, pride, and dedication that you have demonstrated throughout your journey.”

After CAN, several other big names stepped up to thank Paudel.

“Proud of your achievements, your leadership, and the legacy you have left behind as a captain,” wrote CAN secretary Paras Khadka, the former captain who took Nepal to the first T20 World Cup. “Nepal will continue to need you to shine, just as you always have been.”

Likewise, Lamichhane also could not keep himself from recognising the contributions of Paudel.

“Thank you Rohit bhai for everything you’ve done for this team and for the way you’ve led us through every moment,” Lamichhane wrote. “Your contribution, commitment, and presence will always be valued. I’m sure there’s plenty more to come from you in serving this team and the country.”

Similarly, Nepal’s T20I captain Airee had a motivating post for his colleague.

“Some journeys are measured in years, but some leave a legacy that lasts forever… As captain, he did not just lead a team. He inspired a nation, united players, and helped create some of the most unforgettable moments in our cricket history,” wrote Airee. “Many of the achievements we proudly celebrate today carry his dedication, sacrifice, and vision.”

The removal of Paudel from the captaincy role has also been attributed to Nepal’s poor performance in the ongoing ICC CWC League-2.

Recently, Nepal lost all four matches during their League-2 tri-series against Namibia and the Netherlands. It was only the second time Nepal suffered a clean sweep in League-2. The previous one was in the UAE when Nepal lost all four matches against the hosts and the USA.

The loss on Dutch soil was Nepal’s eighth consecutive defeat on foreign soil. Nepal have lost 14 of the 20 League-2 games played abroad in the ongoing cycle (2024-2026). Nepal are currently ranked seventh among eight League-2 teams, have lost the chance to directly qualify for the ODI World Cup’s Qualifier and will be fighting to retain ODI status and fight another long battle to the ODI Qualifier.

But the current League-2 performance cannot shadow what Paudel has led the Rhinos to.

Positive changes?

CAN not only announced the change in captaincy on Monday. It also revealed separate squads for Nepal’s participation at the ACC Premier Cup in Malaysia and the NT Top End T20 Series in Australia. The Premier Cup is taking place from August 30 to September 12, and the Top End Series will be played from August 21 to 30.

Former national cricketers argue that CAN made the changes by keeping Nepali cricket’s best interests at the centre.

“For the last five to seven years, there have not been many changes in the squad,” former national player Sharad Vesawkar told Kantipur. “Despite the changes, we believe that CAN did so for positive results. We hope good results will come.”

Citing two separate squads for the two tournaments, Vesawkar added, “It shows that if you consistently perform in the ‘A’ team, you can open the door to the senior team in no time.”

Meanwhile, regarding captaincy changes, former player Raju Basnyat says that it will not be easy to fulfil the expectations.

“After the Premier Cup, Nepal’s senior team will be busy in the Asian Games and then the Nepal Premier League. After that, a big challenge awaits in League-2 in Oman,” said Basnyat, who is also the head coach of Nepal ‘A’. “The tri-series in Oman is crucial as it directly influences Nepal’s fight to preserve ODI status. It seems that is why CAN made such a shuffle to the squad.”

Basnyat also stresses that a captain is a leader, “and you do not make a leader.”

“A captain is a character,” he added. “Sandeep fits in it. It seems the reason why he was selected.”