When the 2026 T20 World Cup kicks off in India and Sri Lanka, the two co-hosts, in February next year, it will mark the third time that Nepal have made it to the T20 main event. However, before that, the Rhinos want to make the fans believe that Nepal are close to their maiden ODI World Cup as well.

Nepal are among the eight teams contesting in the ICC CWC League 2 (2024-27) cycle, a pathway to the ODI World Cup. Each of the eight countries will host three tri-series and play in six tri-series away from home across the four year cycle.

The top four teams after the conclusion of 24 tri-series in League 2 will progress to the ODI World Cup Global Qualifier, where 9th and 10th ranked ODI teams will be waiting for the top four from the Qualifier Play-off, a tournament between the last four of League 2 and top four of Challenge League.

Nepal hosted Namibia and the Netherlands in the opening tri-series of the League 2 cycle in February last year. The Rhinos then travelled to Canada and the USA in September and October last year, respectively. Their fourth tri-series was in Scotland in June this year.

In 16 of the matches played across four tri-series in a double round-robin structure, Nepal have, however, been able to register only five wins, while losing nine; two of the matches ended without a result.

With 12 points from 16 matches, Nepal are placed seventh in the points table among eight teams. The UAE are at the bottom with six points from 16 games.

Scotland top the table with 30 points from 24 matches and are followed by the USA (28 points from 20 games), the Dutch (28 points from 24 games), Oman (24 points from 20 games), Canada (21 points from 24 games) and the Eagles (19 points from 24 games).

In the 16th out of 24 tri-series in League 2, the bottom two teams—Nepal and the UAE, the hosts—will face the second-positioned USA.

According to the Cricket Association of Nepal, the Nepali team has already landed in Dubai, where the players will be involved in a practice session.

Nepal will face the USA and the UAE in the League 2 tri-series on October 26 and 30, respectively. In the second round, the USA and the UAE will play Nepal on November 1 and 5, respectively.

The Rhinos will have to win as many matches in the upcoming five tri-series in the League 2 cycle to climb the points table and enter the Global Qualifier, a step closer to Nepal’s maiden berth at the one-day World Cup.

However, it will not be easy. Nepal’s most number of ODI encounters have been against the UAE. Nepal, who have played 77 ODIs since 2018, faced the UAE in their first international ODI match. Since then, they have faced off 15 times, with Nepal winning nine and losing six.

Regarding the encounters with the USA, the two teams have won four matches each in nine encounters since 2020; one of the matches ended in a draw.

After the tri-series in the UAE, Nepal will return to League 2 after five months—in March 2026 when they host Oman and the UAE. The Rhinos will then visit the Netherlands and Oman in August and October next year, before concluding the final tri-series at home against Scotland and the USA.

Nepal’s Squad: Rohit Kumar Paudel (C), Dipendra Singh Airee (VC), Aasif Sheikh, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Anil Kumar Sah, Sompal Kami, Aarif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Karan KC, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Shahab Alam, Nandan Yadav, Kushal Malla and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi.