Nepal announce 15-member squad for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

Nepal have announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, set to be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Rohit Paudel will captain the side, with Dipendra Singh Airee named as vice-captain.

Nepal squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Rohit Paudel (captain), Dipendra Singh Airee (vice-captain), Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Basir Ahmad, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla and Lokesh Bam.

Two changes from the Oman qualifier squad

Nepal's final World Cup squad features two changes from the team that played the Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman in October. Basir Ahamad and Sher Malla replace Kushal Malla and Aadil Alam.

Sher Malla's selection follows a strong recent run in domestic cricket, including the Nepal Premier League, where he finished as a joint leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets and was also recognised as an Emerging Player.

Key Highlights

• Nepal name 15-man squad for T20 World Cup 2026 (India & Sri Lanka)
• Rohit Paudel captain; Dipendra Airee vice-captain
• Basir Ahmad and Sher Malla added to the final group
• Nepal in Group C with England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy
• Nepal set for their third Men’s T20 World Cup appearance

Final cut from the preliminary group

From the initial wider group, several players have missed out on the final 15, including Bhim Sharki, Ishan Pandey, Binod Bhandari, Abinash Bohara, Pratis GC and Rupesh Singh. Shahab Alam, who had been part of the setup as a travelling member in Oman, also did not make the final squad.

From the 2024 squad list, the notable new inclusions in the 2026 squad are:

Basir Ahamad, Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla, Lokesh Bam

And notable names from the 2024 list not in the 2026 squad include:

Anil Sah, Kushal Malla, Pratis GC, Kamal Airee, Abinash Bohara

Nepal will play in Group C, alongside England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Italy. The 2026 edition will be Nepal’s third Men’s T20 World Cup, after previous appearances in 2014 and 2024.