Defending champions Nepal on Wednesday announced a 14-member squad for the ACC U-16 Eastern Region cricket tournament slated for April 20-28 in Chaingmai,  Thailand.

Bishal Bikram KC will lead the Nepali team that also include Asish Bhattarai,  Prashant Mahat, Arjun Kumal, Deepak Bohara, Suwash Ayer, Nikhil Kumar Singh,  Bishal Kumar Patel, Krish Karki, Tilak Raj Bhandari, Ramesh Kurmi, Rohan  Dudhraj BK and Prashant Singh Shushant Thapa. Abhishek Gautam, Parshuram Yadav,  Arbaaz Ansari and Bibek Darasi were named in the reserve pool. Basant Shahi is  the team coach and Sudeep Sharma the manager. Physiotherapist Dinesh Bhatta  will also accompany the team, which departs to Thailand on Thursday.

Nepal are pitted in Group ‘A’ with Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Bhutan are in Group ‘B’. Nepal open their title defence with a match against Myanmar on April 20 before taking on Malaysia on April 24 and Thailand the next day. Top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semi-finals.

Nepal clinched the ACC U-16 Eastern Region title defeating Singapore by 71 runs on December 17, 2017. Rit Gautam also became the first Nepali cricketer to hit a century at the  ACC U-16 tournament when he scored an unbeaten 106 against Myanmar  during the league stage on December 14, 2017.

Squad

Bishal Bikram KC (captain), Asish Bhattarai, Prashant Mahat, Arjun Kumal, Deepak Bohara, Suwash Ayer, Nikhil Kumar Singh, Bishal Kumar Patel, Krish Karki, Tilak Raj Bhandari, Ramesh Kurmi, Rohan Dudhraj BK, Prashant Singh, Shushant Thapa.