Nepal will play its first match of the Top End T20 Series against Australia’s NT Strike on Friday, with the game starting at 2 p.m.
The series began on Thursday in Australia’s Northern Territory and will run until August 24 in Darwin and Palmerston. A total of 11 teams, including the Nepal national cricket team, will compete in 36 league matches.
Participating teams include Nepal, Pakistan Shaheens (Pakistan A), Bangladesh A, and Chicago Kingsmen from the USA, along with five Big Bash Academy teams from Australia — Hobart Hurricanes, Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades — as well as ACT Comets and the local NT Strike.
In the league stage, Nepal will face NT Strike, Bangladesh A, Melbourne Stars, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, and Pakistan Shaheens before the knockout rounds.
The top four teams from the league stage will qualify for the semifinals, followed by the final. If Nepal reaches the final, the team will play a total of eight matches in the tournament.
Nepal’s fixtures are as follows:
- Aug 16: vs Bangladesh A
- Aug 18: vs Melbourne Stars
- Aug 19: vs Hobart Hurricanes
- Aug 20: vs Melbourne Renegades
- Aug 22: vs Pakistan Shaheens
After the Top End T20 Series, Nepal will play five additional practice matches. According to the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the team will face Cricket ACT and South Australia. Nepal will play two T20 matches against ACT on Bhadra 10, followed by two T20 matches against South Australia on Bhadra 12, and a one-day match against South Australia two days later.
The tour is part of Nepal’s preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers, to be held in Oman from October 8–17.
Nine teams will compete in the qualifiers, with Nepal placed in a group with Kuwait and Japan. The top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the Super Six stage, and the top three from there will qualify for the T20 World Cup.
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