Nepali cricket remained vibrant throughout last year and the scenario is most likely to repeat this year as Nepal’s cricket governing body, the Cricket Association of Nepal, unveiled a promising cricketing calendar for 2025 on Saturday.

Making the calendar public, CAN Secretary Paras Khadka informed that they had prioritised women’s cricket and the girls have a tight schedule for 2025.

Women’s cricket

The women’s team started 2025 with a tri-series against the Netherlands and Thailand. They are currently in Uganda for a quadrangular series including Hong Kong and Namibia. And they will tour Bhutan in April, Khadka said.

The next month, in May, Nepal will be in Thailand for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers. They are likely to be in Thailand until June as the country is also hosting the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

The women’s team has free time in July and August but will travel to Malaysia for a tri-series including the UAE in September. “The series in Malaysia has been confirmed and Nepal is hosting Uganda, Namibia, the UAE and the Netherlands in December for a pentangular series,” Khadka said. “We have also proposed that Sri Lanka have our women’s team there in October for training. Women’s Elite Cup, in 50-over format, will also be organised among the best domestic clubs in October.”

According to Khadka, Sri Lanka is hosting the Nepali men’s team for training in July and CAN plans to utilise the tour to create an environment for the women’s team to visit there later.

Men’s cricket

The men’s team is visiting Sri Lanka for a preparation camp targeting the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers. “This World Cup Qualifiers is different from its earlier editions as the Asian and East Asia Pacific (EAP) regions have been combined,” Khadka added. “Three teams will enter the World Cup from this qualifier.”

Nepal is competing alongside eight other teams from Asia and EAP—Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Samoa and the UAE—for the three spots in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. Oman is hosting the qualifier in October.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s run to qualify for the World Cup does not end in Sri Lanka. The men’s team will travel to different places of India and the Northern Territory of Australia in August while CAN is also working on a T20I series with a Full Member country in the UAE in September.

“It rains in Nepal in July and August, so the men’s team will prepare abroad,” Khadka said. “In Australia’s Northern Territory, Nepal will be facing ‘A’ teams of Pakistan and Bangladesh alongside clubs participating in the Big Bash League. We are also in talks with Cricket Australia and other stakeholders for some extra matches.”

Khadka added that CAN has prioritised the men’s team’s T20 World Cup qualification campaign and the ICC CWC League 2 cycle. “We are studying the CVs of coaches who have applied for the men’s senior team,” Khadka said. “Our major objective is to get a coach who can get used to Nepal’s environment, have us qualify for the World Cup and aid the overall development of cricket in the country.”

According to CAN officials, two coaches who managed the Nepali men’s senior team previously have also applied for the post. “We cannot confirm everything now but there will be foreign coaches and consultants in the women’s team as well,” Khadka said.

The men’s team is likely to be seen playing at home in 2025 only when Nepal hosts Oman and the UAE for the CWC League 2 tri-series in November. “Construction works are underway in cricket stadiums throughout the country,” Khadka said. “Thus, having the team busy abroad would buy us time to have the stadiums ready.”

Underage categories

Khadka stressed that investment in the grassroots is key for a brighter cricketing future for the country. “Thus, we have tried to give more exposure to the players of underage categories,” he said.

The Nepali men’s U19 team is hosting Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series from April 3 to 9. It is a preparation for the ICC U19 Men’s CWC Asia Qualifier, which will be held in Nepal from April 12 to 28, featuring Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE, alongside the hosts.

The men’s U19 team will also be playing in the ACC Men’s U19 Premier Cup in October and ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup (50 overs) in December. CAN will also organise a men’s U19 national cricket tournament in September.

Similarly, the U19 women’s team, who played in the World Cup in January, will tour Malaysia in July while a national championship has been slated for October. “Regional coaches will be deployed in school-level cricket for girls in September,” the calendar reads. “The coaches will be identifying new talents.” A Girl’s U16 School Championship has also been scheduled for September.

CAN also envisions a National School Championship targeting SEE-passed students (boys) in May. Schools will compete in district level tournaments from May 1 to 15 and in provincial level on May 16-30 before the best one qualifies for the national tournament, according to Khadka. The best players will have the opportunity to represent Nepal in the ACC Men’s U16 East Zone Cup.

“Except for the women’s team’s tour to Sri Lanka, which has not been confirmed yet, all other scheduled events will be organised on time,” Khadka said.

Nepal Premier League

While CAN revealed schedules for every tournament and event in the calendar, they are waiting for an approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).

“The date for the second season of NPL will be revealed once the ICC approves it,” Khadka added. “The ICC will also be sanctioning several processes for the tournament.”

Meanwhile, the calendar states that the release and retain process of players and a mini auction for the second edition of NPL will be held in June and August, respectively.

“The TU International Cricket Ground will host the second season of NPL as well,” Khadka told the Post. “The contractor has said it’d complete the floodlights and 10,000-capacity parapet work in three months,” Khadka told the Post.