Nepal is set to host the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup Qualifier Play-off from December 4 to 21. The tournament will feature matches at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Kathmandu.
The schedule, released by the ICC, shows Nepal opening its campaign against Italy on December 4 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. Nepal will play all its matches at the Kirtipur venue.
Eight nations will participate in the play-off: Nepal, Namibia, Canada, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, Kuwait, Uganda, and Jersey. The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing against the other seven once. The top four teams in the standings will secure a spot in the 2027 One Day International (ODI) World Cup Global Qualifier.
Nepal’s full schedule includes matches against Uganda on December 6, UAE on December 10, Jersey on December 12, Canada on December 14, Namibia on December 18, and Kuwait on December 21.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October 2 to November 21, featuring 14 teams across 12 venues.
The schedule for a cricket series between Nepal and India ‘A’ will be revised due to the play-off tournament.
Background
- Nepal, UAE, Namibia, and Canada are teams from the bottom of the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2 standings.
- The United States, Scotland, Netherlands, and Oman have already secured places in the Global Qualifier from League-2.
- West Indies and Ireland have also qualified as the highest-ranked teams outside of the automatic qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup.
What happens next
The tournament will take place from December 4 to 21.
