Monty Desai, an Indian cricket coach, took charge of Nepal’s national team in 2023. At the time, Nepal’s One Day International (ODI) status was at risk. However, under his leadership, the team not only retained its ODI recognition but also rose from the bottom of League-2 to third place. His coaching helped Nepal qualify for the 2023 Asia Cup, the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, and the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup after a decade.
Before joining Nepal, Monty had worked with top teams around the world. He started as a coach and talent scout for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also coached Andhra Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy and worked with Afghanistan’s national team. He later became the batting coach for the UAE and Canada and was also part of the West Indies coaching staff. His vast experience made him the perfect fit to guide Nepal’s cricketing journey.
Under Desai’s coaching, Nepal’s batting saw remarkable improvement. The team performed well against stronger teams like West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers. They also played against cricket giants India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Though they lost, Nepal showed they could compete at a high level.
During his tenure, Nepal won 20 out of 36 matches. Before he arrived, Nepal had won only 15 out of 37. The team also won five matches in a row and secured 11 victories out of 12 in League-2, which saved their ODI status.
Monty Desai’s coaching journey with Nepal
Nepal’s batting partnerships also improved. The team scored eight century partnerships in ODIs, including a record 171-run stand between Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Sheikh against Zimbabwe. In T20 cricket, Nepal set a new record with a 193-run partnership between Rohit Poudel and Kushal Malla against Mongolia.
Before Desai took over, Nepal struggled to cross 200 runs in ODIs. In 26 matches, they failed to do so 20 times. After his arrival, Nepal failed to reach 200 only 14 times. The highest total Nepal had ever scored before Desai was below 300, but they broke that record by scoring 310 against Oman.
In T20 matches, Nepal’s scoring rate also improved. Before Desai, the team averaged 7.52 runs per over. After his arrival, that number jumped to 8.32. The batting average also increased from 21.17 runs per wicket to 23.71.
Despite these improvements, Nepal had its fair share of struggles. The team lost all its matches against Test-playing nations like India, Pakistan, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. However, they managed to put up a fight, even scoring 230 runs against strong teams.
One of Nepal’s worst losses came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where they were bowled out for just 104 runs. Another tough defeat was against the USA in League-2, where Nepal gave away 286 runs while trying nine different bowlers.
There were also some heartbreaks, like a one-wicket loss to Oman and a last-over defeat to Ireland after being in a winning position. Similarly, in a match against Namibia, Nepal failed to defend 169 runs, highlighting their struggles to finish games strongly.
Desai’s time with Nepal has been transformational. He turned the team into serious competitors on the world stage. His impact on Nepal cricket will be remembered for years to come.
