Nepal national women’s cricket team begin their much anticipated ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka on Friday.

They will be heavy underdogs as their group contains ACC Women’s Premier Cup champions the United Arab Emirates, two-time Asia Cup runners-up Pakistan and defending champions and tournament’s most successful side India.

Nepal’s first aim will be to achieve a first ever win at the Asia Cup.

Nepal are making their third appearance in the biennial tournament, after previously participating in 2012 in China and in 2016 in Thailand. But they have yet to win a single match in the competition. In both editions, they finished the group stage winless and at the bottom of the table.

However, Nepal could change that bitter history when they face the UAE in the tournament opener.

“Our first target is to defeat the UAE,” Nepal skipper Indu Barma said.

But the task will be a difficult one.

The UAE are making their second appearance at the Asia Cup. But under captain Esha Oza, they have emerged as the strongest side among the associated nations.

The UAE qualified for the Asia Cup as the winners of the ACC Premier Cup in February. Nepal initially failed to make the Asia Cup but was later included in the main event as one of the two semi-finalists—the other being Thailand—following the expansion of the tournament to eight teams by the Asian Cricket Council.

Two years ago, the UAE and Nepal crossed paths in the ACC T20 Women’s Championship semi-finals. The UAE progressed to the final ahead of Nepal due to a superior net run rate in the group stage after their match yielded no result due to rain. The UAE went on to defeat Malaysia in the final to make their Asia Cup debut.

In the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier as well, the match between Nepal and the UAE was abandoned due to rain. However, the UAE finished the group on top and ahead of Nepal due to net run rate. Both the UAE and Nepal progressed to the knockouts as the top two teams. Nepal fell to Thailand in the semis but UAE won the tournament and progressed to the global qualifier (2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier).

The UAE also had a blistering run in the T20 World Cup qualifier but ultimately failed in their mission to make their T20 World Cup debut after they were undone by Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.

Nepal may have received a boost in their confidence when they defeated Sri Lanka Development Squad in the final and third T20 practice match to avoid series sweep, but their recent form suggests that UAE will still be heavily favoured.

According to Barma, if Nepal defeat the UAE, their next goal will be trying to pull off an upset against the big teams and reach the semi-finals.

But things are not as easy as it seems.

Nepal next play Pakistan, who were runners-up in both editions Nepal participated, next Sunday and cricket’s powerhouse India on July 23.

In the 2016 edition, when all six participating teams were in a single group, Pakistan had bundled Nepal for 47 runs before winning the match by nine wickets.

Nepal were also humiliated by India in their next group match when the Indians wrapped up Nepal for just 21 runs to win by 99 runs. Nepal were chasing 121.

India have won seven out of eight editions of the Asia Cup since its inauguration in 2004. Bangladesh won 2018 edition defeating India by three wickets.

Rubina Chhetri, who is now Nepal’s most capped women’s cricketer with 55 appearances in the national team, and Sita Rana Magar were both in Nepal’s squad in 2016.

But Rana Magar hopes Nepal women’s team will be a lot better this time as they have also drawn inspiration from the men's team who recently participated in the T20 World Cup.

“Our plan is not just to participate in the tournament. We have a feeling that our team can play a good game against big teams like our men’s team,” said Rana Magar.

“We have gained clarity on how to bat for a full 20 overs and how to bowl the ball through mentoring. There are positive changes in the team.”

Former captain Chhetri is in fine form. The batting allrounder has scored 741 runs from 46 innings for Nepal and will bring inspiration to Asia Cup from her outstanding Premier Cup when she scored an unbeaten 118 against the Maldives in their record total of 227-4 to become Nepal’s first player to score a century in women’s T20Is. Chhetri is also the first Nepali player to score a century in women’s T20Is.

Chhetri, who scored 17 (17), 28 (43) and 37 (26) in three warm-up matches against Sri Lanka, will form the core of Nepal’s batting unit alongside Barma and Rana Magar.

Pacer Kabita Joshi also impressed with the ball in the warm-up, while Sabnam Rai and Kritika Marasini will lead the spin threat for Nepal.