A preliminary squad of 28 players has been announced by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) for the training camp ahead of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, which is scheduled in May 2025 in Thailand. The goal of this training camp, which starts in Kathmandu on April 1, is to improve the players’ abilities and level of fitness before assembling the team for this important competition.
A number of players from the shortlisted bunch of 28 have recently put up outstanding performances. Captain Indu Barma is a right-handed hitter and right-arm medium bowler who has taken 40 wickets with best figures of 3/5 and scored 847 runs with a maximum score of 55* in her 68 WT20I games.
All-rounder Rubina Chhetry, who has been a mainstay for Nepal, is another important player. In WT20Is, she has amassed 853 runs at an average of 19.38 and claimed 44 wickets. Notably, on February 13, 2024, she starred in Nepal’s win over Maldives with an unbeaten 118, setting the record for Nepal Women’s highest individual score.
Emerging talent Puja Mahato, who also served as captain of the Nepal U19 squad, has advanced significantly since making her debut. She has taken 26 wickets in 32 WT20I matches with a best of 3/2 and scored 409 runs, including the highest of 62*. Sita Rana Magar is the most prolific run scorer and wicket-taker for Nepal Women in WT20Is, with 961 runs at an average of 21.35 and 58 wickets at an average of 13.32 overall.
Nepal’s 28-player squad for the preparation camp:
Indu Barma, Rubina Chhetry, Bindu Rawal, Alisha Yadav, Sana Praveen, Rajmati Airee, Roma Thapa, Kabita Kunwar, Ishwori Bist, Puja Mahato, Kabita Joshi, Manisha Upadhayay, Sabnam Rai, Seemana KC, Rachana Chaudhary, Samjhana Khadka, Riya Sharma, Rubi Poddar, Sita Rana Magar, Yashoda Bist, Anu Kadayat, Manisha Bohara, Laxmi Saud, Helisha Gurung, Kajal Shrestha, Somu Bist, Sangita Rai, Alisha Khadiya
Nepal’s women’s team has made regular appearances in international series of late to improve their performance and experience before the Asia Qualifier. In 2025, they played a tri-series against Thailand and the Netherlands before playing a quadrangular series against Hong Kong and Namibia in Uganda only recently. Additionally, a tour to Bhutan is planned for April.
Recent performances, however, point to areas that require refinement. Nepal suffered six straight defeats to Thailand and the Netherlands in the Nepal Women’s T20I Triangular Series, which took place from January 30 to February 8, 2025. As the squad prepares for the Asia Qualifier, these outcomes highlight the need for targeted preparation and strategic planning.
One of the most important routes for countries hoping to qualify for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is the regional qualifiers, here, the Asia Qualifier for Nepal. Group A includes Bahrain, Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Malaysia in addition to Nepal. Since the best teams from this qualifying will advance to the global qualifier, Nepal must use their training camp and next games to gain confidence.
All eyes will be on these players, both new and experienced, when the training camp gets underway to see how they work together to create a strong team that can compete at the top levels in the Asia Qualifier and beyond.
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