The Nepal women’s national cricket team has grown from a newly formed side into one of the most competitive emerging programs in Asian women’s cricket. Over nearly two decades, the Nepal women’s national cricket team has moved from regional debut events to genuine contention for global qualification, producing record-breaking individual performances and a landmark win over a Test-playing nation along the way. This article traces that journey, from its earliest matches to its most recent fixtures.
Origins and Early Years
The Nepal women’s national cricket team made its international debut at the ACC Women’s Tournament in Malaysia in July 2007. The squad, largely assembled from athletes who had excelled in other sports, surprised many by reaching the final of that very first tournament. That early run signaled the talent waiting to be developed within the country, even though formal structures for women’s cricket were still in their infancy.
Success continued at the youth level shortly after. Nepal won the 2008 ACC Under-19 Women’s Championship and successfully defended the title in 2010, building a pipeline of players who would later anchor the senior side. These age-group wins gave the program a foundation that paid dividends once the team transitioned into full international status a decade later.
The T20I Era Begins
A major turning point arrived in April 2018, when the International Cricket Council granted full Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) status to all its members, effective from 1 July 2018. Every T20 match the Nepal women’s national cricket team played against another international side from that point onward would count as an official WT20I.
Nepal’s formal T20I debut came on 12 January 2019, against China at the 2019 Thailand Women’s T20 Smash in Bangkok. The team again reached the final, this time losing to host nation Thailand by 70 runs. The result confirmed that Nepal’s promising performances were not a one-off, and the team began appearing more regularly on the regional calendar.
Building Momentum: Tournaments and Records
Through the early 2020s, the Nepal women’s national cricket team became a fixture of ACC Women’s Championships and qualifying events. At the 2022 ACC Women’s T20 Championship, Nepal reached the semifinals before being eliminated on net run rate rather than on the field, after a rain-affected match against the UAE, a frustrating but telling sign of how close the team had come to the region’s elite tier.
Individual records piled up during this stretch. The table below highlights some of the most significant marks set by Nepal women’s players.
| Record | Achiever | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Highest team total | Nepal Women’s National Cricket Team | 227/4 vs Maldives, 13 February 2024 |
| Highest individual score | Rubina Chhetri | 118* vs Maldives, 13 February 2024 |
| 118* vs Maldives, 13 February 2024 | Anjali Chand | 6/0 vs Maldives, 2 December 2019 |
| Most WT20I runs (milestone) | Sita Rana Magar | Crossed 1,000 T20I runs, January 2026 |
| Most matches as captain | Indu Barma | Record for most WT20Is as captain |
Indu Barma has captained the side across all formats, with Puja Mahato serving as vice-captain and emerging as one of the team’s most consistent performers with bat and ball.
Chasing the World Cup Dream: The 2026 Qualifier
January 2026 produced one of the most significant chapters in the history of the Nepal women’s national cricket team. Hosting matches at Kirtipur as part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, Nepal opened with a heartbreaking 2-run loss to Netherlands Women, falling just short while chasing 141.
Two days later, Nepal delivered a historic result: a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe Women, marking the team’s first-ever victory over a Test-playing nation. Puja Mahato anchored the chase with a 52-run knock her third T20I half-century while Sita Rana Magar’s contribution helped her become just the third Nepali women’s cricketer to reach 1,000 T20I runs. The campaign ended with a defeat to Scotland Women, but the win over Zimbabwe alone marked a watershed moment for the program.
Recent Form: The 2026 Malaysia Tour and Asian Games Qualifying
The Nepal women’s national cricket team carried that momentum into May 2026. On tour in Malaysia, Nepal won both matches of a two-game T20I series, claiming the series 2-0. The results are summarized below.
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2026 | 1st T20I, Kuala Lumpur | Nepal Women won by 2 wickets |
| 22 May 2026 | 2nd T20I, Kuala Lumpur | Nepal Women won by 7 wickets |
| 30 May 2026 | Asian Games Women’s Qualifier, semi-final | Malaysia Women won by 2 wickets |
That winning run carried Nepal into the semifinal of the Asian Games Women’s T20I Qualifier, also held in Kuala Lumpur. Facing Malaysia Women again on 30 May 2026, Nepal posted 126/6 but saw the target chased down with 8 balls to spare, ending the campaign just short of the final. Even so, the run underlined how far the Nepal women’s national cricket team has come: a side now capable of competing deep into qualifying tournaments rather than simply making up the numbers.
Conclusion: What’s Next?
From a surprise final appearance in 2007 to a maiden win over a Test nation in 2026, the Nepal women’s national cricket team has built a steady trajectory of improvement. Structural support has grown alongside the results, with the Cricket Association of Nepal now offering players graded monthly contracts and match fees a sign of increasing professionalization around the team.
With key players like Indu Barma, Puja Mahato, Sita Rana Magar, and Rubina Chhetri still active, and a growing list of close results against established cricketing nations, the Nepal women’s national cricket team looks well placed to keep pushing for its first appearance at a global ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The history so far suggests the breakthrough may not be far away.
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