Veteran Bhandari returns, Arjun Kumal earns maiden senior call-up

KATHMANDU: Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Binod Bhandari has been recalled to the national team, while former U-19 Captain and Opener Arjun Kumal has received his first senior call-up.

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) unveiled a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League-2 (WCL-2) with Rohit Paudel as captain for a four-match tri-series against Oman and UAE on Friday. The matches will be played at the TU International Cricket Stadium, Kathmandu, from April 25 to May 5.

Kumal forced his way into the national side following a remarkable performance in the recently concluded PM Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament. Representing Gandaki, he amassed 504 runs in nine innings at an impressive average of 84. He also became the first player in the tournament’s history to surpass the 500-run mark.

Bhandari (36) finished as the third-highest run-scorer. The Tribhuvan Army Club Captain scored 404 runs in nine innings at an average of 44.88. Under his captaincy, TAC lifted the title of the PM Cup—Nepal’s premium men’s ODI tournament featuring 10 teams—on Friday with a five-wicket win over Sudurpashchim.

Bhandari last represented Nepal in a WCL-2 match against Scotland on July 17, 2022.

However, two standout bowlers of the tournament, Hemant Dhami and Sher Malla, were left out of the final squad. Playing for Sudurpashchim, who became the first provincial team to play in the final of the PM Cup, Dhami and Malla picked up 27 and 23 wickets, respectively, in 10 matches.

The two, however, have been named in the reserves.

Nepal will face the UAE on April 25 and May 1, while their matches against Oman are set for April 29 and May 5. Similarly, Oman and the UAE will meet on April 27 and May 3.

Nepal Squad:
Rohit Paudel (Captain), Dipendra Singh Airee (Vice Captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh, Bashir Ahmad, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Binod Bhandari, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Kumal, Karan KC

Reserves: Hemant Dhami, Sher Malla, Rijan Dhakal, Ishan Pandey, and Dev Khanal