KATHMANDU, Aug. 15: With a new captain at the helm and a championship in sight, Nepal's national cricket team is heading into the ACC Premier Cup with its eyes firmly set on the Asia Cup.
The ACC Premier Cup, scheduled to be held in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12, will feature 10 nations, including Nepal, all vying for a place in the Asia Cup. For Nepal, however, the tournament offers more than just a shot at the continental championship. It is also expected to serve as an important platform to prepare for the final four matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.
The final League 2 series could determine whether Nepal retains its ODI status, making the ODI-format Premier Cup an important opportunity to fine-tune preparations ahead of that crucial series. The winner of the Premier Cup will qualify for the upcoming Asia Cup. Five ICC full members from Asia, along with the Premier Cup winner, will compete in the 2027 Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh.
Nepal failed to qualify for the previous edition of the Asia Cup, which was played in the T20 format. Under Rohit Kumar Paudel's captaincy, Nepal lost to Hong Kong in the third-place playoff, missing out on a place in the continental tournament.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) handed the ODI captaincy to Sandeep Lamichhane last week, replacing Rohit. For Sandeep, who has returned to the leadership role, the Premier Cup will be his first major challenge. It will also mark Nepal's return to international cricket under his captaincy after nearly four years.
Sandeep last captained Nepal during the team's tour of Kenya, where it played an international T20 series. He was subsequently removed from the captaincy following allegations of rape involving a teenage girl.
Now back in charge, Sandeep takes over at a difficult time for Nepal's ODI side, which has struggled for consistent results in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. The Premier Cup therefore represents both a challenge and an opportunity for him. A successful campaign could provide a much-needed boost to a struggling Nepali team.
Sandeep, however, has cautioned that the team's problems will not disappear overnight.
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“We have played well at home, but we have not been able to perform equally well away from home. To maintain the same balance away from home, we need the same mindset that we have at home. We all need to be prepared with the necessary plans and strategies for improvement,” he said.
He also stressed the need for more practice ahead of away fixtures. In preparation for the Premier Cup, the Nepali team will therefore train in Bengaluru, India.
The training camp in India is expected to help address Nepal's recent batting struggles and improve its ability to adapt to overseas conditions. The team has repeatedly struggled to adjust to conditions away from home, an area Sandeep also hopes the Bengaluru camp will help improve.
Nepal has been placed in Group A alongside Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Group B comprises Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Singapore and the UAE.
Nepal's route to the title will not be straightforward. Oman and the UAE, both ICC World Cup League 2 sides, are among the teams competing in the tournament. Oman are currently among the top four teams in League 2, while the UAE, despite sitting at the bottom, remain a competitive side.
Matches between Nepal and the UAE have traditionally been closely contested.
Nepal will play its final League 2 series in Oman in October, with Canada also part of the series. Winning all four matches could give Nepal a chance to finish fourth in League 2, qualify for the World Cup Qualifier and retain its ODI status.
The Premier Cup, therefore, is more than a tournament for Nepal. Its performance in Malaysia will serve as preparation for the League 2 finale while also offering a route to the Asia Cup, where Nepal could face some of the strongest Test-playing nations in Asia.
Sandeep is confident Nepal can go all the way.
“We are going there to win the title and bring the trophy home. We will try our best to win every match. Our goal is the championship. We will prove that Nepal are one of the strongest Associate teams,” Sandeep said. “We will perform well in Malaysia to maintain that image.”
The captain also said the team would identify its past mistakes and weaknesses and work to correct them. With a mix of experienced players and emerging youngsters, he believes Nepal's future could be exciting.
CAN has already made several changes to the squad for the tournament. Kushal Bhurtel was left out after a string of poor performances in League 2. Experienced fast bowler Sompal Kami has also been omitted, while another important medium-pacer, Nandan Yadav, is unavailable due to injury.
Nandan had suffered the injury after playing against Namibia in a League 2 match and had already been out of the squad in recent times because of injury.
Karan KC and Hemant Dhami have been retained in their places.
Experienced fast bowler Sompal failed to produce the expected performances during Nepal's recent tour of the Netherlands. He took just two wickets in three League 2 matches and was left out of the playing XI for the fourth game. He was subsequently omitted from the Premier Cup squad.
Kushal, meanwhile, has also struggled to produce consistent performances in ODIs since 2025. In 17 ODIs during this period, he has scored only one century and one half-century. Although he hit a century against the United States at home in 2026, he has failed to produce another significant half-century innings since then.
In his absence, CAN has given opportunities to young batters who have shown promise recently. Arjun Kumal, Dev Khanal, Sundeep Jora and Basir Ahamad are among those included in the Premier Cup squad.
The squad has consequently given greater opportunities to younger players alongside experienced campaigners. In batting, Arjun, Dev, Jora and Basir have been given opportunities.
The squad comprises Rohit, Sandeep, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir, Sher Malla, Hemant, Aasif Sheikh, Dev, Ishan, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Jora, Arjun, Gulshan Jha and Karan.
Changes to the opening combination and experienced bowling unit will not be easy for Nepal or Sandeep to manage.
Head coach Stuart Law believes the team will use its intensive training camp in India to address the weaknesses exposed in League 2 and develop new strategies among the players.
According to Law, Malaysia's pitches are generally slower and offer assistance to spinners, conditions that could further strengthen Nepal's spin-bowling attack.
