Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Opener Kushal Bhurtel and seamer Sompal Kami have been left out of Nepal’s squad for their final World Cup League 2 tri-series against Oman and Canada.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced the 14-member squad on Friday for the tri-series, which will be hosted by Oman.
Fast bowler Hemant Dhami, who has featured in Nepal’s recent matches, has also been omitted. Left-arm spinner Shahab Alam, meanwhile, has been included, providing another option in Nepal’s spin department.
Nepal will play Canada on October 11 and 17, and hosts Oman on October 13 and 19.
The tri-series will be the final one for Nepal and Canada, who are separated by just one point in the CWC-2 standings. Oman, meanwhile, have another tri-series against the UAE and the Netherlands remaining.
Oman are currently fourth in the standings with 31 points, while Canada are sixth with 25 and Nepal seventh with 24. The UAE are eighth with 18 points.
Scotland, who have completed all their matches, lead the standings with 45 points from 36 matches. The United States and the Netherlands are second and third with 43 and 38 points, respectively, with four matches in hand each.
The top four teams in the CWC-2 standings will qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, while the bottom four will enter the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off alongside the top two teams from the CWC Challenge League.
Italy and Uganda have already secured their places in the qualifier play-off after finishing as the top two teams in Group B of the CWC Challenge League. Jersey and Kuwait currently occupy the top two positions in Group A, with five matches remaining.
The top four teams in the qualifier play-off will advance to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
The qualifier play-off will also determine which teams remain in CWC-2 and which drop to the Challenge League. The two highest-ranked teams among the four play-off participants will retain their places in the next edition of CWC-2, while the bottom two will move to the Challenge League.
The matches in Oman are therefore crucial for Nepal’s bid to retain their ODI status. Finishing above Canada and the UAE would allow Nepal to avoid the qualifier play-off and secure a place in the top six. A finish outside the top six would force Nepal into the relegation battle against the two Challenge League qualifiers.
Nepal squad:
Sandeep Lamichhane (captain), Asif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Dev Khanal, Ishan Pandey, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Jora, Gulshan Jha, Basir Ahmad, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Lalit Rajbanshi, Shahab Alam and Sher Malla.
