Nepal denied U-19 World Cup berth as rain favours Afghanistan

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Apr 20, 2025

Nepal hope of qualifying for the 2026 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup were dashed on Saturday as persistent rain led to the abandonment of their final league match against Afghanistan at the Lower Mulpani International Cricket Ground.

With both sides tied on three wins from four matches, Afghanistan progressed to the 2026 U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia based on a superior net run rate and were crowned champions of the Asia Qualifier.

Victory would have sealed a ninth U19 World Cup appearance for Nepal, but the weather proved to be the decisive factor.

Rain began on Friday afternoon and continued intermittently into Saturday morning. Although conditions improved by 9 AM, with no further rain, the outfield remained heavily damp. Despite five hours of continuous effort by the ground staff, the field was declared unfit after a final inspection at 2:30 PM, ruling out even a reduced 20-over contest.

Nepal captain Naren Bhatta and head coach Shakti Gauchan remained composed in their post-match remarks, expressing disappointment but pointing out the importance of focusing on controllables — the weather, they admitted, was not one of them.

The decision sparked widespread frustration among fans, many of whom questioned the venue’s poor drainage and the inability to prepare the ground despite five rain-free hours.

The Upper Mulpani Ground, which had better playing conditions, also failed to host the UAE vs Hong Kong fixture on the same day.

As the Nepal vs Afghanistan encounter was a league match rather than a final, there was no provision for a reserve day.