KATHMANDU, Aug 30: The third edition of the ACC Premier Cup begins in Malaysia on Sunday, with Nepal entering the tournament with a clear target: win the title and secure a place in the 2027 Asia Cup.
The 10 participating teams have been divided into two groups. Nepal is in Group A alongside Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Group B consists of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Singapore.
Nepal will open its campaign against Bahrain on Monday, September 1. The match will be played at the YSD UKM Cricket Oval in Bangi, Malaysia. It will be Nepal’s first meeting with Bahrain in a 50 over Premier Cup match.
Nepal will face hosts Malaysia in its second group match on September 4. Nepal has remained unbeaten in its last five ODIs against Malaysia and also defeated the hosts in both recent practice matches. This will be their second Premier Cup meeting. Nepal won their first encounter by six wickets in the inaugural edition in 2023.
Nepal will then take on Saudi Arabia on September 7 before facing Hong Kong in its final group match on September 9.
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Nepal and Saudi Arabia have met twice so far, with Nepal winning one match and the other being abandoned. In four 50 over matches between Nepal and Hong Kong, Nepal has won once, Hong Kong twice, while one match was abandoned.
According to the Asian Cricket Council, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners will meet in the final. Unlike the previous edition, only the Premier Cup champion this time will qualify for the 2027 Asia Cup.
The 2024 edition, which was played in the T20 format, sent three teams to the Asia Cup. The UAE, Oman and Hong Kong qualified from that tournament, while Nepal finished fourth.
Nepal won the inaugural Premier Cup in 2023. Playing the final at home, Nepal defeated the UAE by seven wickets to claim the title. The national team now hopes to repeat that success in Malaysia.
Dipendra Chaudhary, a former national team player and former coordinator of the Cricket Association of Nepal’s player selection committee, believes Nepal is among the leading contenders for the title.
Although playing overseas presents its own challenges, Chaudhary said Nepal’s extensive preparation before the tournament could work in its favour.
“Nepal had good preparation before the tournament. The training in India will certainly help the team in the ACC Premier Cup. Head coach Stuart Law closely monitored every practice match, which should also benefit the players,” Chaudhary said.
He also pointed to the form of several younger players, including Dev Khanal, Aasif Sheikh and Arjun Kumal, who performed well in the practice matches.
“Nepal’s bowling remains its strongest department,” he said.
Citing Nepal’s 27 run victory over Malaysia in the second practice match, despite setting a modest target of 171, Chaudhary said the team’s bowling attack could be a decisive strength.
He identified Oman and the UAE as Nepal’s main rivals in the tournament.
“Nepal is playing away from home, so there will certainly be challenges. But the players have already played practice matches on Malaysian pitches and have become somewhat accustomed to the conditions. Oman and the UAE are Nepal’s main rivals. Both teams have caused Nepal problems in important tournaments in the past,” Chaudhary said.
