Nepal have turned to familiar faces for their first-ever bilateral series against a Full Member, naming all-rounder Mohammad Aadil Alam and middle-order batter Sundeep Jora in a 16-man squad to meet West Indies in Sharjah from 27 September.
Alam has not worn national colours since August 2022. Jora’s most recent cap came in June last year. Their inclusion sits alongside the return of left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi, who missed last month’s Top End T20 in Australia through injury.
Captain Rohit Paudel sounded upbeat when the group was unveiled. “We are confident and positive,” Paudel said. “The last two years of exposure playing against Test nations has also brought good experience, and the team is balanced with the presence of Jora and Aadil Alam.”
Key facts first
• Three T20Is, all in Sharjah, 27–30 September
• West Indies led by Akeal Hosein, five uncapped players in their touring party
• Nepal then head to Oman for the Asia/East-Asia Pacific qualifier for the 2026 T20 World Cup
Spin still anchors Nepal’s plans. Sandeep Lamichhane controls the middle overs, while Rajbanshi offers a contrasting line. Seam options include the vastly experienced Sompal Kami and the bustling Karan KC.
West Indies A visited Kathmandu in April 2024 and edged a lively five-match series 3-2. Sharjah should offer friendlier batting conditions, yet the tactical question remains the same: can Nepal’s bowlers limit power-hitters who bat deeper than they are used to facing?
Analyst Raju Khadka believes the additions make sense. “Alam gives the attack extra balance because he can bowl brisk medium pace and clear the in-field at the death,” he noted. Jora, meanwhile, slots into that often-fragile No. 5 role; a calm 45 off 28 balls against the Dutch last year is still fresh in local memory.
Squad
Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Singh Airee (vice-capt), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Kushal Malla, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Aarif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulsan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Shahab Alam.
If the UAE leg goes well, confidence will flow straight into the World Cup qualifying campaign in Muscat. Slip up, and the hard-earned momentum of the past two seasons could fade quickly. As Paudel put it, “balance” is the watch-word; Sharjah offers the first real test of just how balanced this group now is.
