Kathmandu - Nepal begin a crucial ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series against Namibia at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht, on Tuesday, with both teams needing points to keep their top-four hopes alive.
The match starts at 11:00 AM local time, 9:00 AM GMT and 2:45 PM Nepal time. It is Match 116 of the League 2 cycle and the first of Nepal’s four matches in the Netherlands, where they will also face the hosts twice.
Big Picture
Nepal's position has been shaped strongly by their last home League 2 tri-series in Kirtipur, where they hosted Oman and UAE. Nepal won three of their four matches in that series, beating UAE twice and Oman once, with the only defeat coming against Oman by 102 runs by DLS.
That home run gave Nepal important momentum before the Netherlands tour. Dipendra Singh Airee’s century against UAE, Aasif Sheikh’s 94 against Oman and Gulshan Jha's five-wicket haul were among the major performances from the series, which kept Nepal within reach of the top-four race before their two practice wins over Jersey.
Nepal enter the match fifth in the League 2 table with 24 points from 28 matches and a net run rate of +0.023. Namibia are seventh with 22 points from 28 matches and a net run rate of -0.491. Oman currently occupy fourth place with 31 points, while Netherlands are third with 32.
The top four teams in League 2 qualify directly for the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The bottom four will have to go through the Qualifier Play-off route. That makes this Utrecht leg particularly important for Nepal, who need away points from their remaining League 2 fixtures to stay in the race.
A win over Namibia would take Nepal to 26 points and keep them ahead of Canada and Namibia. A defeat would allow Namibia to draw level with Nepal on points before the tougher fixtures against Netherlands arrive.
Form Guide
Nepal come into the match after a productive preparation tour in Jersey. They won the first one-day match by 81 runs, with Kushal Bhurtel scoring 105 and Hemant Dhami taking four wickets. Nepal then won the second practice match by eight runs via DLS, where Ishan Pandey made 90 and Kushal added 51.
Bhurtel's form is Nepal's biggest batting positive. He has scored heavily across formats in recent months and now carries that rhythm into a League 2 series where Nepal need top-order runs.
Namibia also had strong preparation before arriving in the Netherlands. They beat Vidarbha in a five-match build-up series in India, with Jan Frylinck scoring 103 and Nicol Loftie-Eaton producing a strong all-round performance in one of their wins. Namibia coach Craig Williams said the squad had no injury concerns before the tour.
In The Spotlight
Kushal Bhurtel will again be central to Nepal's batting plans. In European conditions, his role at the top becomes even more important because Nepal have often struggled when early wickets expose the middle order too soon.
For Namibia, Jan Frylinck and Nicol Loftie-Eaton arrive in form. Frylinck's ability to bat deep and offer left-arm medium pace gives Namibia balance, while Loftie-Eaton has been contributing with both bat and ball in the build-up.
The spin battle could also shape the game. Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi give Nepal control through the middle overs, while Bernard Scholtz offers Namibia a similar left-arm spin option.
Team News
Playing XIs have not been announced.
Nepal's squad is led by Rohit Paudel, with Dipendra Singh Airee as vice-captain. The squad includes Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Aarif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sandeep Lamichhane, Arjun Kumal and Binod Bhandari.
Namibia's 15-member squad is captained by Gerhard Erasmus. The squad includes Malan Kruger, Jan Frylinck, Michael van Lingen, Louren Steenkamp, Alexander Volschenk, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, JJ Smit, Zane Green, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, JC Balt, Max Heingo, Jack Brassell and Waldo Smith.
Pitch And Conditions
Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd has a small men’s ODI sample. Six men’s ODIs listed at the venue show teams batting second winning four times, with an average first-innings score around 210. Scotland’s 380/9 against Netherlands in 2025 is the highest men’s ODI total at the ground, but most games have been much lower-scoring.
Recent venue data suggests seamers can stay in the game, especially with the new ball and under Dutch conditions. Batters who get through the first 10 overs can still cash in, but this is not a ground where 300 should be assumed as par.
With chasing sides having done well in the men's ODI sample, the toss-winning captain may be tempted to bowl first.
Venue History
Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd is the home of Kampong Cricket in Utrecht and has hosted international cricket across men’s and women’s formats. Netherlands played Ireland in a men’s ODI series at the venue in 2021, and the ground also hosted League 2 matches in 2025, including Scotland’s big win over Netherlands.
Weather
The match-day forecast for Utrecht is encouraging. Conditions are expected to be mostly sunny to partly cloudy, with temperatures moving from around 19°C in the morning to 22-25°C in the afternoon. Rain risk is low, with light-to-moderate wind expected during playing hours.
What To Watch
Nepal’s top order against Namibia’s new-ball attack could decide the first half of the match. If Kushal and Aasif Sheikh survive the early movement, Nepal can build through Rohit, Bhim and Dipendra.
The other key phase will be Nepal’s spin in the middle overs against Namibia’s experienced core of Erasmus, Frylinck, Loftie-Eaton and JJ Smit. On a ground where totals can stay modest, one controlled spell could tilt the match.
