Nepal and UAE Face Off in Kirtipur After Two and a Half Years in Historic Night T20 International

After a long wait, the Nepalese cricket team is finally set to play an international match on home soil, where the Kirtipur grounds will once again echo with the cheers—and hoots—of local fans. On April 20, Nepal will host the UAE in a T20 International at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, marking the first time an international match will be held there under floodlights at night. The Nepalese side will be led by captain Dipendra Singh Airee, with regular players Rohit Paudel, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, and Asif Sheikh absent from the squad. So far, Nepal and the UAE have faced each other 11 times in T20Is, with Nepal winning 6 matches and the UAE 5. The only match held in Kirtipur so far was won by the UAE. (April 20, Kathmandu)

Two years ago, on March 5, 2024, the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground hosted the final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 T20I series featuring Nepal, the Netherlands, and Namibia. That game was intensely competitive until the final over, with Nepal setting a target of 185 runs for the Netherlands. Nepalese fans were disappointed by the outcome, but could not have anticipated such a long wait for another international fixture at home. Since then, the earth has completed more than two orbits around the sun, and the condition of the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground has also evolved.

Now, after two and a half years, Nepal will have the historic opportunity to play an international match at home ground once again. While matches had previously been played only during the daytime, this will be the first time in Nepalese cricket history that an international game takes place under floodlights at night. Familiar rivals Nepal and the UAE will meet face to face in Kirtipur after 2.5 years. Notably, many regular and senior players participating in this series are absent, and the captaincy has changed. Under new captain Dipendra Singh Airee’s leadership, the young Nepalese team embarks on a fresh start in T20I cricket.