Dipendra Singh Airee’s Journey as Captain

April 18, Kathmandu – The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced the Nepali squad on Friday for the historic ‘Under Lights’ T20 series against UAE to be held at home, naming Dipendra Singh Airee as captain.

Previously, Rohit Paudel had captained Nepal in both One Day Internationals and T20I formats. Rohit led the team during the ICC T20 World Cup held in India last December-January.

However, this time CAN has designated two separate squads with different captains for the ODI and T20I formats. Dipendra has been appointed as the new T20I captain.

Dipendra, having captained at age-group levels, has also led teams in domestic and franchise cricket. He will be Nepal’s fifth T20I captain following Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Rohit Paudel.

CAN announced the ODI squad under Rohit Paudel’s captaincy, while Dipendra will lead the squad for the prior T20I series as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 home matches.

According to CAN’s press release, “The Cricket Association of Nepal would like to inform that separate captains have been appointed for T20 and ODI teams. Dipendra Singh Airee will captain the Nepal T20 team, while Rohit Paudel will remain the captain of the Nepal ODI team.”

There is considerable difference between the two squads, with experienced players prioritized for ODIs and younger, newer players featuring in the T20I side. Only seven players are common to both formats.

Ahead of the League 2 series, Nepal will play two floodlit matches at home on April 20 and 21. These matches will mark Dipendra’s official debut as captain of Nepal’s senior team.

Dipendra has demonstrated leadership across various levels, from youth cricket through domestic and franchise competitions. Although sometimes regarded as a prospective captain for Nepal, circumstances delayed his appointment as senior team captain.

In 2019, former national captain Paras Khadka named Dipendra among the fastest progressing players during a conversation with this writer. From his international debut, Dipendra quickly made an impression with consistent strong performances.

Recently, Dipendra delivered outstanding performances in the ICC T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka, excelling in batting, bowling, and fielding. He scored two successive half-centuries, leading Nepal to their first T20 World Cup victory after 12 years.

His half-century helped Nepal defeat Scotland by seven wickets at the T20 World Cup. Batting at number four, Dipendra proved his value in the senior team.

In four matches at the World Cup, he scored two half-centuries, making 58 runs against West Indies and an unbeaten 50 against Scotland. He also scored a personal best of 44 against England, with a lower score of 17 against Italy.

After his half-century against West Indies, Dipendra became the first Nepalese player in 12 years to score a half-century in a T20 World Cup. The previous such achievement was by Suwas Khakurel in 2014 against Afghanistan during Nepal’s T20 World Cup debut in Bangladesh.

Proven Leadership

Dipendra Singh Airee has captained the Nepal U-19 team, Nepal Police Club in domestic cricket, and various franchise teams. His successful leadership record assures that he is a suitable choice to lead the Nepali team.

Under Dipendra’s captaincy, Nepal’s U-19 team famously defeated India’s U-19 side. In the 2017 ACC U-19 Asia Cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dipendra’s all-around performance helped Nepal beat India by 19 runs. He top-scored with 88 runs, helping Nepal post 185 for 8 in 50 overs.

In response, India was bowled out for 166 in 11 balls under the target, with Dipendra bowling 10 overs including 2 maidens, conceding just 38 runs and taking 4 wickets.

Similarly, Dipendra captained Civic Attariya to the 2019 Dhangadhi Premier League (DPL) title. He has also led the Sudur Paschim Rolls in the Nepal Premier League (NPL), guiding them to finals in two consecutive seasons, although finishing as runners-up both times.

Long associated with Nepal Police Club, Dipendra captained the side in recent years before resigning from his police job this year. After the ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016, several young players including Dipendra joined the Police Club.

Following his U-19 captaincy, Dipendra gained opportunities in franchise cricket. After representing Nepal at the U-19 World Cup, he debuted for Nepal’s senior team in 2017 during the World Cricket League against Kenya.

In 2018, during the Everest Premier League (EPL) held in Kathmandu, Dipendra was named marquee player for Chitwan Tigers, alongside senior players including national captain Paras Khadka and vice-captain Gyanendra Malla. Notably, Dipendra was the only junior player among the marquees, though the captaincy of Chitwan was held by Prithu Baskota.

Dipendra is widely recognized in Nepali cricket by the nickname ‘Tiger.’ He is a power-hitter capable of playing from the middle order to a finishing role, and bowls off-spin. His fielding is also exceptional, often forcing batsmen to think twice before taking runs, with skills including accurate direct hits and expert running between wickets.

From Six Sixes to the Fastest Fifty Record

Dipendra holds records not only in Nepal but also internationally, particularly in T20I cricket where he has achieved rare feats.

He equaled the record for hitting six sixes in one over and set a world record for scoring a T20I half-century in just 9 balls.

Dipendra twice hit six sixes in six consecutive balls across two different overs. At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, he scored the fastest T20I half-century in 9 balls against Mongolia, hitting six sixes consecutively across overs. Later, in 2024 at the ACC Premier Cup in Oman, he struck six sixes in six balls in a single over against Qatar.

Dipendra made his T20I debut in 2018 against the Netherlands at Lord’s, but the match was abandoned due to rain with no result. He also debuted in ODIs the same year during Nepal’s historic series in August.

He has played 94 T20I matches for Nepal, scoring 2,125 runs including one century and 12 half-centuries, along with 60 wickets. In 68 ODIs, Dipendra has scored 1,241 runs with one century and five half-centuries and taken 42 wickets.

Internationally, Dipendra has also represented various franchise leagues. Currently, he plays for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is affiliated with JB Bruges in the EU T20 Belgium league, and has played in Canada’s Global T20 league as well as the UAE’s IL T20 league for Gulf Giants.