Nepal was listed on the ICC's T20I rankings on July 5 after it played eight T20 matches of international status following four-match T20I series against the Netherlands. Nepal was in the 15th position (bottom) as it entered the rankings table for the first time.However, Nepal, which suffered humiliating exit from the recently held ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers lost its T20I status and was subsequently removed from the recently updated table of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the cricket governing body. Nepal should have qualified (secured top six) for the World T20 finals in order to retain T20I status.
The ICC had granted T20I status to Nepal on June 28 which came into effect from 1st of October last year. Nepal had earned the status with its impressive run in the World T20 (finals) held in Bangladesh last year.
But Nepal finished at the bottom of Group A in the Qualifiers for next World T20, 12th position out of 14 teams. Nepal finished its run at the tournament with four defeats, one win and one no-result in the Qualifiers that concluded on Sunday. The event was jointly hosted by Ireland and Scotland.
Nepal beat USA (six wickets) in its first match before its next match against Namibia was washed out due to rain. Nepal faced four consecutive defeats in remaining four group matches going down against co-host Ireland (eight wickets), Hong Kong (five wickets), Papua New Guinea (eight wickets) and Jersey (seven wickets).
Nepal has played 11 T20I matches, three matches during ICC World Twenty20 held in Bangladesh and one against Hong Kong last year.
Likewise, the team has played four-match T20I series against the Netherlands before the qualifiers and three matches during the qualifier.
Nepal played against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong during ICC World Twenty20 held in Bangladesh and also played only T20I against Hong Kong in Sri Lanka last year.
Nepal had recently played four-match T20I series against the Netherlands from June 30 to July 3 which put Nepal on the ICC T20I rankings. Matches against Ireland, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea during the Qualifier were also counted as T20I.
Although, Nepal has been removed from the top 15 position of the ICC T20 rankings, seven players are listed on top 100 in the ICC's batsmen and bowlers' latest rankings.
Paras Khadka (75th), Sharad Vesawkar (79th) and Gyanendra Malla (100th) are in batsmen rankings, while Basant Regmi (65th), Shakti Gauchan (76th), Sompal Kami (81st), Paras (99th) and Sagar Pun (100th) stand in the bowlers rankings.
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