Not Australia or England But Nepal’s T20 World Cup Match Tickets Are 2nd Most Wanted After India

Led by spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, Nepal’s 2026 T20 World Cup roster features a lineup of talented players.

Not Australia or England But Nepal’s T20 World Cup Match Tickets Are 2nd Most Wanted After India

Tickets for Nepal's 2026 T20 World Cup matches have been the second-most sough after. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

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In a surprising development ahead of the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup, cricket fans seem to have taken an unprecedented interest in watching Nepal play. Recent trends suggest that the demand for tickets for matches involving the Nepalese T20I team has risen. 

Nepal qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup, making it their third appearance in the tournament after having previously featured in 2024 and 2014. Unlike the previous two editions when the team failed to even make it past the group stages, the Nepalese T20I team, led by captain Rohit Paudel and guided by head coach Stuart Law, will be determined to make history and get through to the knock-out stages.

Nepal finished at the top of the Asia-East Asia-Pacific Regional finals to qualify for the 2026 T20 WC, alongside Oman and the UAE. However, their journey to the ‘Super Eight’ stages will be a tough one, as they are placed in Group C alongside former champions England and West Indies. Italy is the fourth team in Group C, while Scotland completes the group after entering the tournament at the last minute to replace Bangladesh, which withdrew due to security concerns.

Coming back to Nepal’s 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, the Red and Blues will first face off against the Three Lions in Mumbai on February 8, followed by matches against Italy (February 12), West Indies (February 15), and Scotland (February 17). Nepal will play all four of its group stage matches at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, with the tournament organizers anticipating a sea of ‘Red and Blue’ at the venue.

With Bangladesh out and Pakistan playing in Sri Lanka, Nepalese supporters are expected to be the largest visiting fanbase in India at the T20 World Cup. Additionally, it has been reported that tickets for Nepal’s matches are the second most sought after, behind India. This high level of support is anticipated to give captain Rohit Paudel and his side a home-like advantage, something that big teams like Australia, England, and South Africa will be vying for.

Nepal will be looking to better its record, where it failed to even win a single group-stage game at the 2024 edition. However, in September last year, Nepal etched history by defeating the West Indies in a T20I bilateral series for the first time. 

Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee still holds fastest T20I fifty record despite Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma chase

The record for scoring the fastest T20I fifty still belongs to Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, courtesy his astonishing nine-ball half-century scored against Mongolia at the 2023 Asia Games. Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube attempted to breach the milestone, but fell short. 

Nepal Dipendra Singh Airee
Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee holds the record for the fastest fifty in T20Is, ahead of Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube. (via Indian Express)

Nepal’s all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee had accomplished this feat in a 2023 Asian Games group stage encounter in Hangzhou, China. He had hit 52 runs off just 10 balls, including eight sixes, which helped his team post a mammoth first innings total of 314/3 in just 20 overs. His contribution against Mongolia followed a 137-run innings by Kushal Malla and a 61-run knock by captain Rohit Paudel. 

The 26-year-old had then gone past Yuvraj Singh’s 16-year-old record for the fastest fifty in a T20I game, a feat that the legendary Indian all-rounder had achieved during the inaugural 2007 edition of the T20 WC. More recently, young Indian opener Abhishek Sharma came close after hitting a 14-ball half-century in a T20I against New Zealand in Guwahati, but it ended up being the joint-fourth fastest in the format.

Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube also added his name to this elite list, after hitting a remarkable fifty off just 15 deliveries against the BlackCaps in Vizag. Dube’s knock, however, came in a losing cause, despite the 32-year-old having smashed seven sixes and three fours.

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