Thailand clinched the trophy of Nepal Women T20I Triangular Series at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Friday with a dominant seven-wicket victory over the hosts, who endured a winless campaign suffering defeats in all six matches.

With the win, Thailand finished atop the table with 10 points from six matches and won the trophy. Their only loss of the tri-series came against the Netherlands on Thursday.

The Dutch secured second position with eight points and will return home on a positive note after finally managing to pull off a thrilling one-wicket win against strong Thailand in their final fixture.

Meanwhile, Nepal endured a dismal outing, losing three matches each to visiting sides Thailand and the Netherlands in front of their home crowd.

An eighth successive loss across all competitions—including two defeats in the Asia Cup—underlines Nepal’s struggles and the urgent need for a reset if they aspire to compete among the elites in the near future.

Signs of Nepal’s decline were evident after they initially missed out on an Asia Cup berth when they lost to Malaysia by four wickets in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup semi-finals in Kuala Lumpur in February last year. But they later qualified to the main event after the Asian Cricket Council expanded the event to eight teams in March.

Prior to that, Nepali women also failed to make it to the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier after heavily losing to Thailand in the semi-finals of the Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in 2023.

Emerging Stars Offer Hope

Despite Nepal’s disappointing campaign, the emergence of Manisha Upadhyaya and the consistent performances of U-19 captain Puja Mahato provided a glimmer of hope.

Upadhyaya, who made her T20I debut on February 2, has shown promise, claiming seven wickets in her first three international innings. Though she went wicketless in the 10-wicket loss to the Netherlands and the final defeat to Thailand, her early performances suggest she is set for a long run in the national side.

Mahato, Nepal’s standout performer, was named the team’s best player of the series after amassing 134 runs and taking three wickets across six matches.

Mahato had earlier played a crucial role in securing Nepal’s maiden appearance at the 2025 U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in January. While Nepal lost all three of their group matches, Mahato shone brightly, earning a spot in the tournament’s Best XII after scoring 70 runs and taking nine wickets in five matches.

She also guided Nepal to a historic victory over Pakistan in the U-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December last year, scoring a match-winning 47 not out off 47 balls.

Batting woes continue

Beyond Mahato, Nepal’s batting woes persisted throughout the series. Captain Indu Barma failed to make a significant impact, with her highest score being 39 against the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Sita Rana Magar’s five-wicket haul against the Dutch provided a rare moment of celebration for Nepal.

On Friday, Nepal were aiming to salvage pride with a consolation win but once again faltered under pressure.

Batting first, they struggled to build partnerships and managed only 81-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Samjhana Khadka top-scored with 17 off 29 balls.

Thailand comfortably chased down the modest target in 17 overs, reaching 82-3. Naruemol Chaiwai (27 not out off 34) and Nannapat Koncharoenkai (23 off 32) steered their side to victory.

Barma at least found some relief with the ball, taking two wickets, while Mahato claimed one scalp.

As Thailand celebrated their title, Nepal’s latest setback highlights the pressing need for improvements if they are to compete at a higher level in international cricket.