The ninth edition of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women’s Asia Cup will take place in Sri Lanka from July 19 to July 28. All the matches will be played at the Dambulla International Stadium. Ahead of the tournament, the national women’s squad for Nepal has been unveiled.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has retained most of the players from the team that appeared in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup, which was hosted by Malaysia in February 2024. Indu Barma will lead the 15-player Nepal squad. Thirteen out of the fourteen players from that squad have made it to the 15-player squad for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup. The two new inclusions who were not part of the ACC Premier Cup are Mamta Chaudhary and Kritika Marasini.
Mamta Chaudhary had an impressive outing in Nepal’s domestic league, the ‘Lalitpur Mayor Women’s Championship, scoring 219 runs in ten matches, including a half-century. The left-arm spinner Kritika Marasini also had ideal performances for the Lumbini side in Nepal’s domestic league, though she missed out on the ACC Premier Cup.
The Nepal side first appeared in the Asia Cup in 2012, which was held in China. This edition will be their third participation in the Asia Cup, after 2012 and 2016. They finished seventh in the points table in the eight-team tournament in 2012, losing all three of their matches.
The second edition was also forgettable for them as they lost all five matches. Nepal’s recent form has been exceptional; they were unbeaten in the group stages of the ACC Premier Cup before losing in the semi-final against Malaysia. They will look to secure their first win in the Asia Cup.
Nepal is part of Group A in the upcoming Asia Cup 2024, which consists of India, Pakistan, and UAE. Nepal will also play the opening match of the Asia Cup against UAE.
Match Schedule:
19 July 2024: Nepal vs UAE – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
21 July 2024: Nepal vs India – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
23 July 2024: Nepal vs Pakistan – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
Nepal’s squad for the Asia Cup 2024:
Indu Barma (c), Rubina Chettri, Sita Rana Magar, Bindu Rawal, Kabita Kunwar, Puja Mahato, Kabita Joshi, Samjhana Khadka, Kajol Shreshta, Sabnam Rai, Rajmati Airee, Mamta Chaudhary, Kritika Marasini, Roma Thapa, Dolly Bhatta