Nepal look to bounce back against the Netherlands with World Cup qualifying points at stake

Nepal head into their meeting with the Netherlands in Utrecht on Thursday needing a response. Two days after being bowled out for 157 and beaten by eight wickets by Namibia, Rohit Paudel’s side face the host nation in the second one-day international of a three-team series that carries real weight in the race for the 2027 World Cup.

What is at stake

This tri-series in the Netherlands is part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, the long qualifying grind that decides which associate nations reach the next stage on the road to the 2027 tournament. Every point matters, and the table is tight. The Netherlands go into the series as the best placed of the three sides and sit in the upper half of the League 2 table, while Nepal are further back and cannot afford to let results slip if they want to climb.

That context turns what might look like a routine mid-summer fixture into something closer to a must-win for the visitors. Namibia’s bowlers, led by JJ Smit, took Nepal apart in the opener, and another defeat here would leave Paudel’s team with plenty to do across the rest of the series.

Nepal need their batting to fire

The 157 all out was the problem on the opening day, and Nepal will know it. Their bowling has rarely been the issue, with Sandeep Lamichhane’s leg spin and the pace of Sompal Kami and Karan KC capable of testing any associate line-up. It is the top order that has to give them something to defend or chase.

Kushal Bhurtel made a hundred in the warm-up matches against Jersey earlier this month, and Nepal need that kind of start at the top. Dipendra Singh Airee, the vice-captain, remains their most destructive middle-order option, and Aasif Sheikh has the game to anchor an innings. If a couple of them go on to significant scores rather than getting in and out, Nepal are a very different proposition.

A Dutch side at home and in form

The Netherlands, captained by wicketkeeper-batter Scott Edwards, are a settled and experienced outfit on home soil. Bas de Leede gives them balance as an all-rounder, Max O’Dowd anchors the top order, and Logan van Beek offers pace and lower-order hitting that has rescued them before. On their own grounds, against a Nepal side still finding its feet in this series, they will fancy their chances.

For Nepal, the appeal is simple. Beat a top-three side away from home and the whole complexion of their qualifying campaign shifts. The match starts at 2:30 PM IST at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, and for a cricket nation that has grown used to punching above its weight, this is exactly the kind of test Nepal need to pass more often.

Stay across the road to the 2027 World Cup