Nepal Advances to Second Round of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
Nepal’s national women’s cricket team secured a spot in the second round of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier after a dramatic turn of events in Bangkok on Friday. Rain forced the abandonment of a crucial match between Hong Kong and Bahrain without a single ball being bowled, a result that favored Nepal in the final group standings.
Both Nepal and Hong Kong ended the group stage with five points from four matches, each winning two games, losing one, and sharing points from a no-result. While Hong Kong had a superior net run rate, tournament regulations prioritize the number of wins when determining advancement in the event of a tie. This rule worked in Nepal’s favor, as they had secured two outright victories, edging past Hong Kong, who had only one completed win and two matches impacted by weather.
Nepal’s path to the second round was a hard-fought one. The team opened its campaign with a convincing win against Bahrain and followed it up with another victory over Bhutan. However, losses to Hong Kong and a narrow defeat in their final match meant their advancement hopes hung in the balance, pending the outcome of Friday’s match.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier features nine teams split into three groups during the initial double round-robin phase. Only the winner from each group advances to the second round. In that stage, the three group winners will face off in a round-robin format. The top two teams from this final phase will qualify for the global qualifier—the penultimate stage for a place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Nepal now prepares for this decisive next round, where the stakes are even higher. The top two teams from the second-round tri-series will earn the right to compete on the global stage, bringing them one step closer to a historic appearance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
As the team looks ahead, Nepal’s cricketers carry not only the hopes of a nation but also a growing momentum and belief that they can challenge Asia’s best and earn their place among the world’s elite in women’s cricket.
