Nepal face Oman on Tuesday in Kirtipur in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture, five days after Oman handed them a heavy 102-run defeat at the same ground. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee has made clear the side intends to come out attacking this time around.
The match is part of an ongoing home tri-series that has produced mixed results for Nepal. They beat UAE twice but were outclassed by Oman on April 29, when Jatinder Singh’s 130 off 96 balls helped the visitors post 305 for 8. Nepal never threatened in reply, folding for 155 for 7 before rain ended the match and confirmed the DLS defeat.
Nepal Have Struggled for Consistency in the Current League 2 Cycle
Nepal currently sit seventh in the League 2 standings with seven wins in the ongoing cycle. The top four at the end of the competition earn a direct place in the Cricket World Cup Qualifier for the 50-over World Cup, making every remaining match critical for the Himalayan side.
Their recent form tells a mixed story. Wins over UAE showed what this team can do, but the collapse against Oman exposed familiar problems. Only Airee batted with any real intent in that defeat, scoring 60 off 62 balls. The rest of the top order struggled to build partnerships, with Nepal losing five wickets inside the first 21 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane bowled impressively — 10 overs for just 24 runs — but the batting let the team down badly.
Tuesday is a chance to respond directly to that result, on the same ground, against the same opponents.
Airee Calls for Positive Cricket as Nepal Chase Crucial Win
Airee spoke ahead of the match and was straightforward about what went wrong and what needs to happen next.
“We couldn’t play well in the first two matches of the tri-series. Now the partnerships are getting better,” he said. “If we can play by taking that positively, we can achieve a good result against Oman.”
He also touched on his own form, acknowledging that sharper personal focus has driven his recent run-scoring while others in the lineup have struggled to fire. The hope is that form spreads through the batting order on Tuesday.
Captain Rohit Paudel struck a calm tone, pointing to the team’s proven ability to perform under pressure.
“It is our nature to play under pressure. Therefore, we are hopeful that we will secure a win,” Paudel said. “The same players who played a role in winning 11 matches in the previous cycle are still in the team today. We have already endured that level of pressure. Therefore, the upcoming matches will be even more important.”
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Oman Arrive in Strong Form After Dominant April 29 Victory
Oman will come into Tuesday’s game on the back of that convincing win. Jatinder Singh’s century was the standout moment — he reached his fifty off just 38 balls and went on to his hundred off 73, eventually dismissed for 130 with the score on 192. The middle order then pushed Oman past 300, with Jiten Ramanandi adding 43 and Aryan Bisht contributing 35.
Their bowling was equally disciplined. Shakeel Ahmed took two wickets for just 16 runs in eight overs. Nadeem Khan, playing his ODI debut in the April 29 fixture, claimed three wickets at an economy of 4.20.
Nepal’s bowlers will need to be far more effective with the bat to have any chance of chasing down a similar total on Tuesday, and their batting lineup will need to show the sort of fight Airee demonstrated almost single-handedly last time. A repeat of April 29 would leave their qualification hopes in serious trouble.
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