Nepal will play their first T20 World Cup 2026 match against England.
Nepal is all set to make their second consecutive and third overall appearance in a T20 World Cup. The ‘Cardiac Kids’ had previously qualified for the 2014 and 2024 editions, but failed to progress beyond the group stages on both occasions. Coming into the T20 World Cup 2026, the big question will be Can Nepal Qualify for Super 8?
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The Asian side has looked in good form, winning all their six games in the T20 World Cup qualifiers last year in September-October. Nepal also have a good squad with a balance of experience, who can pose a serious threat and even eke out a qualification. Let’s evaluate Nepal Super 8 chances.
Nepal is placed in Group C alongside England, the West Indies, Italy, and Oman.
Here is a look at Nepal T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures:
Nepal will kickstart their campaign against two-time winners England, which will be their toughest fixture in the group. For Nepal to qualify, they will need to script an upset, and if the Rohit Paudel-led side manages to spring a surprise in their very first match, the Nepal qualification chances will drastically increase. Furthermore, England have previously struggled against Associate nations at ICC events, and Nepal will hope for an encore.
Conversely, a Nepal loss will also not deter their chances too much if they can churn out wins in their remaining four games, which, realistically, is possible.
Italy will be playing their first ICC event, and this will be Nepal’s easiest match. They will need to win it dominantly in a bid to boost their NRR. Nepal qualification chances will be boosted massively if they can guarantee two points from this contest.
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Although the West Indies are the higher-ranked team and are the obvious favourite in the fixture, Nepal will take inspiration from their historic win over the Caribbean side last year. Nepal managed to beat West Indies in a three-match series 2-1 and record their first-ever series win over a full member nation. If they can pull off a similar heist, Nepal can take their tally to four, considering they lost against England, which will put Nepal Super 8 chances in a strong place.
The final fixture will be a tricky one for Nepal. Scotland have the numbers on their side – they have a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head and have also beaten Nepal in the final of the T20I tri-series last year. Furthermore, Scotland rank higher than Nepal in the ICC T20I Team Rankings.
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Nevertheless, Scotland did not qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026, with Italy andthe Netherlands progressing from the European qualifiers and was added as a last-minute replacement after Bangladesh pulled out. It will be an even contest, one that Nepal will need to come out as winners to keep their hopes alive.
Nepal Super 8 chances undoubtedly will not be easy, but they havea real opportunity. While they might not be in contention to qualify as the group-toppers, Nepal can eye the second spot to progress in the tournament.
Best-case scenario: Nepal wins three or four games (guaranteed qualification)
Worst-case scenario: Nepal wins two games (qualification depends on other results)
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