After the loss against Bangladesh in the last group stage match, Nepal’s journey in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has come to an end. Although Nepal failed to win a single match in the tournament, they exhibited brave performances against strong sides. Let’s review Nepal’s performance in the tournament.
Positives:
Fan Support:
The biggest positive for the Nepal team was the fan following and support provided throughout the tournament. The enthusiastic backing from the crowd was a highlight for the cricket fraternity, showcasing the tremendous support and presence of fans even against strong and well-known cricketing sides.
Strong performance against the stronger side:
Despite not able to win the single match in the tournament, Nepal impressed the world with the strong fight shown against the opponents. In the first match against Netherlands, Nepal could only manage to score 106 but the bowler shown the fight taking the match to the 19th over. Second match against Sri Lanka was washed out due to wet outfield but Nepal impressed against South Africa where Nepal lost by 1 run. Even in the last group match, Nepal were top of the game in first half.
Bowling: A Strong Performance:
Nepal’s bowling was one of the strongest attacks in the tournament, and they impressed the world. No opposition managed to cross the 120-run mark against Nepal. The only other teams that didn’t allow the opposition to score a run a ball in all matches were India and South Africa. Dipendra Singh Airee was the leading wicket-taker, picking up six wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of 5.15.
Concerns:
- Forgettable Batting Performances:
- While the bowling was impressive and brilliant, the Nepali batting was completely forgettable. Nepal scored only 305 runs in three matches, losing 27 wickets. They couldn’t even bat the full 20 overs on two occasions. Nepal went winless in the tournament as their batters failed to chase low targets of 116 and 107 in two consecutive matches.
2. Not Crossing the Line:
- Nepal showed a brilliant fight and impressed the world against top sides, but their inability to close out matches, especially against stronger sides and full members, is concerning. Nepal has played 13 official internationals against full member sides. They came very close in this tournament against South Africa, needing just 18 runs in 21 deliveries with seven wickets in hand at one stage. However, Nepal faltered and found themselves under pressure. Despite recovering to need just 2 runs from 2 balls, they couldn’t finish the game.
3. Missed Catches and Lack of Activeness in the Field:
- Despite being the youngest team in the tournament, with 14 out of 15 players aged below 30, Nepal’s fielding was not up to the mark. They had a low conversion ratio in terms of catches, and misfielding often leaked runs and allowed boundaries, giving the opponents an advantage. Additionally, Nepali batters struggled to rotate the strike regularly and convert singles into possible twos. The last ball against South Africa will be a painful memory for a long time, as Gulshan Jha was unable to make that run quickly and dive to cross the line.
We hope the Nepal team will learn from their mistakes in this tournament and improve, impressing cricket fans around the world in the coming days.
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