Nepal U-19 Team in World Cup

Background

Nepal’s Under-19 cricket team achieved great heights in the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. They became Plate Champions by beating New Zealand, a Test Nation, by 1 wicket at Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium in Sri Lanka on February 18, 2006. The team also reached the Plate Championship finals in 2002 and 2008. Out of nine U-19 World Cup tournaments, Nepal participated in six (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2012).

They qualified for the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup after an impressive second-place finish in the World Cup qualifying tournament, ahead of hosts Ireland and behind only Scotland. Unfortunately, Nepal did not qualify for the tournaments in 1998, 2010, and 2014. In the first U-19 World Cup in 1988, Nepal was not a member of the ACC.

On the Asian level, Nepal’s U-19 team competes in the ACC U-19 Elite Cup, which is a senior-level tournament and the first-level qualification for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Nepal has won this tournament four times (in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007) and reached the finals twice (in 1999 and 2011). Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it to the finals in 1997 and 2009. Nepal U-19 cricket team didn’t qualify for the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup but qualified for the 2016 edition after winning the 2015 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

In the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, there were concerns about the age eligibility of Nepal’s captain, Raju Rijal, but the ICC confirmed that his date of birth was correct. Nepal finished in 8th position, which is their best result in the U-19 World Cup along with their performance in the 2000 U-19 world cup.

Qualification

Nepal made history by being the first team to qualify through regional qualification, defeating UAE in the Asia Qualifier.

In the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup South Africa 2024, 16 teams will play a total of 41 matches. Eleven teams, like Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe, automatically qualified based on their performance in the 2022 event. The other five teams earned their spots through regional qualifying events.

In 2023, the Americas and EAP regions held qualifying events, and the winners got a chance to play in the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Africa, Asia, and Europe had a two-step qualification process, involving Division 2 Qualifiers in 2022 and Regional Qualifiers in 2023. Only the winners from the Regional Qualifiers made it to the 2024 event in Sri Lanka.

Nepal secured its spot by winning the Asia Qualifier, and other teams like New Zealand, Namibia, Scotland, and the USA earned their places through different regional paths. The qualification process shows the various ways teams earned their spots in this prestigious tournament.

It’s worth noting that the Sri Lankan cricket team is currently suspended by the ICC, and their hosting and participation status in this tournament is uncertain.

To qualify for the U19 World Cup 2024, Nepal did really well in the 2022 edition and came out as the best full-member nation. Now, they are in Group D, playing against strong teams like Australia, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.

Schedule

Squad

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