KATHMANDU - Nepal's squad for the ACC Men's Premier Cup in Malaysia is more than a captaincy announcement. It is the first clear signal of how the team management wants to respond after a difficult ODI run.
Sandeep Lamichhane has returned as Nepal's ODI captain, replacing Rohit Paudel, as CAN announced a 14-member squad for the tournament scheduled from August 30 to September 12. Dipendra Singh Airee will continue as Nepal's T20I captain under the split-captaincy structure.
The leadership change is the headline, but the squad composition is equally significant. Nepal have included Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami and Sundeep Jora alongside captain Sandeep.
The squad arrives soon after Nepal's winless League 2 tour of the Netherlands, where the batting unit struggled badly. Nepal lost all four matches in Utrecht, with no batter scoring a half-century across the series. That context makes the inclusion of Arjun, Dev and Ishan important.
Arjun did not get a game in the Netherlands despite Nepal's batting problems. Dev returns as another top-order option, while Ishan remains part of the ODI setup after featuring in recent League 2 matches. Their presence gives Nepal a chance to rethink the top order and not simply continue with the same combination.
Basir Ahamad and Sher Malla add spin-bowling depth around Sandeep, Dipendra and Lalit. Gulshan Jha remains central to the all-round balance, while Karan KC and Hemant Dhami are the frontline pace options in the absence of Sompal Kami.
The omissions are notable. Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Sompal Kami, Aarif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki and Binod Bhandari are not in the squad. Several of them have been regulars in Nepal's white-ball setup, making this squad feel like a controlled reset rather than a routine selection.
For Rohit, the tournament begins a different role. He remains in the squad as a senior batter after a captaincy spell in which Nepal completed a remarkable late run in the previous League 2 cycle, won the ACC Men's Premier Cup 2023 to qualify for the Asia Cup, and qualified for back-to-back ICC Men's T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026.
For Sandeep, this is his second spell as national captain. He first led Nepal between 2021 and 2022, before Rohit took over later in 2022. His return now comes at a time when Nepal need stability, clearer batting roles and a stronger response after slipping in both League 2 and ODI rankings.
The Premier Cup will show whether Nepal are only changing leadership, or genuinely reshaping their ODI direction under Lamichhane, with qualification for the 2027 Asia Cup also on the line.
Nepal Squad
Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami, Sundeep Jora.
