Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal is kicking off its defense of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup with the match against Malaysia in the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman on Friday.
Nepal flew directly to Muscat from Gujarat, India, where it competed in a T20 series against the Gujarat and Baroda teams of India. Nepal clinched the series defeating Gujarat by 18 runs.
The 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup, which will be played in T20I format, features 10 teams and serves as the final stage of qualification for the 2025 Asia Cup tournament.
Nepal is the defending champion of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. It secured victory over UAE by seven wickets in the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup played in Kathmandu, helped by an unbeaten 67 by the 17-year-old Gulshan Jha. The tournament was played in ODI format.
Tournament Format
The tournament features 10 teams. Eight teams – Nepal, UAE, Oman, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar – qualified for the tournament based on the ICC Men’s T20I rankings. Two teams – Saudi Arabia and Cambodia – qualified through the 2024 ACC Men’s Challenger Cup held in Thailand.
The teams are divided into two groups of five teams each. Nepal is in Group A, which includes Malaysia, Hong Kong, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Similarly, hosts Oman are placed in Group B with Bahrain, Cambodia, Kuwait, and UAE. The teams play each other once, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
Nepal’s Fixtures
Vs Malaysia – April 12
Vs Qatar – April 13
Vs Against Hong Kong – April 15
Vs Saudi Arabia – April 17
Both semifinals will be played on April 19, while the 3rd place play-off will be held on April 20. The final is scheduled for April 21.
Nepal Squad
Rohit Paudel (C), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah, Dipendra Singh Airee, Khushal Bhurtel, Abinash Bohara, Pratis GC, Gulshan Jha, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Kushal Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bibek Yadav
