T20 World Cup 2026: Rohit Paudel to lead 15-man Nepal squad

Dubai, Jan 6 (IANS) Cricket Nepal on Tuesday announced a well-rounded 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as they look to make a strong impression on the global stage. Rohit Paudel will continue to lead the side in the upcoming edition. 

The 23-year-old all-rounder Paudel has played a central role in Nepal's growth in cricket, providing his team with consistent support with the bat while also displaying calm leadership during tense times.

Paudel will be well-supported by Dipendra Singh Airee, who has been appointed as vice-captain. Dipendra Singh Airee is another player whose all-round ability will be instrumental in providing Nepal with the proper balance in the shortest form of cricket.

Nepal's squad is built around spin, depth in all-rounders, and an ability to increasingly withstand pressure in batting as they seek to improve upon their performance from their disappointing showing at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The spin attack continues to be led by Sandeep Lamichhane, who has a wealth of international experience around the world and has proven to be an excellent wicket-taker during the middle overs, and will combine with left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi, along with support from other spinners Dipendra Singh Airee and Basir Ahamad.

All-rounders remain the backbone of Nepal's line-up, with each of Dipendra, Gulshan Jha, Aarif Sheikh, and Sompal Kami providing valuable balance on both sides of the equation.

Kushal Bhurtel will be relied on to give the team an aggressive push at the start of innings to build momentum in the opening overs, while Aasif Sheikh will provide strength and stability behind the stumps, and Lokesh Bam will be crucial in stabilizing the middle order and giving the team support through Sundeep Jora and Nandan Yadav by providing depth to the batting line-up beyond the first six batters.

The pace unit continues to be led by Sompal Kami and Karan KC, who have a wealth of experience with the new ball and strong control in the death overs.

Nepal squad for T20 World Cup:

Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahamad, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla, Lokesh Bam

--IANS

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