Cricket Kitchen

Predicted XI For Nepal Vs West Indies

September 14, 2025

Who will open for Nepal in the match against West Indies — Kushal and Aasif, or Anil and Kushal, or even Lokesh Bam and Kushal Bhurtel in a different combination?
In the middle order, will Bhim and Arif remain, or will they be replaced by Sandeep Jora and Basir Ahmad? Can Kushal Malla secure a spot in Nepal’s squad against the West Indies? What are the chances for Pawan Sarraf to be included in the team?
What challenge do Shubham Keshar Kandel and Ishan Pandey face to make it into the squad?
Can Pawan Sarraf challenge Dipendra Singh Airee?
Will Lokesh Bam come in as an opener or bat at number seven?
Among all-rounders Gulshan Jha, Adil Alam, Rupesh Singh, and Bibek Yadav, who will secure a place in the team?
For Nepal’s pace attack, who will remain in the team?
How difficult or easy will it be for Sompal Kami and Karan KC to make the squad?
Among Nandan Yadav, Rijhan Dhakal, Aakash Chand, and Kamal Singh Airee, who will secure a place in the team?
Can spinners Sahab Alam, Yuvaraj Khatri, and Sagar Dhakal make the team?
Here, we will seek answers to all these questions. What should Nepal’s squad against the West Indies look like? Who will remain in the team? We will discuss this in detail.

The coming months are crucial for Nepali cricket. From September 27 to 30, Nepal will play a three-match T20I series. This will be the first time Nepal faces a Test nation, making it a much-awaited series not only for Nepali cricket supporters but also for cricket fans worldwide. After this series, Nepal will travel to Oman to play the Asia Qualifiers for the World Cup. The upcoming series against the West Indies will carry significant importance for preparation. Nepal is also scheduled to play two CWC series this year—one in the UAE and another in Nepal. After that, the Nepal Premier League is scheduled, though another series might take place after the Premier League.

In today’s video, we will discuss which 15-member squad Nepal should send for the West Indies series. While preparing the list of 15 players for Nepal, we have given special attention to recent performances and team strength.

For Nepal, Kushal Bhurtel’s place as an opener is almost confirmed. The most secure spot in the team is held by captain Rohit Paudel, followed by Kushal Bhurtel. When he performs, Nepal rarely loses. His recent performances have cemented his place as an opener. To partner him, the competition will be between Aasif Sheikh, Anil Shah, and Lokesh Bam. In this race, Anil Shah and Aasif Sheikh are ahead of Lokesh, but considering coach Stuart Law’s support for Lokesh, it seems likely that Aasif Sheikh will open with Kushal Bhurtel. Lokesh Bam will likely be a backup opener and also bat lower down the order. Anil Shah seems unlikely to be part of the squad for the West Indies series.

In the middle order, only captain Rohit Kumar Paudel’s place is secure.
For the middle order, Bhim Sharki, Arif Sheikh, Basir Ahmad, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Jora, Dev Khanal, Shubham Kansakaar, Pawan Sarraf, Ishan Pandey, Tritraj Das, and Arjun Gharti Magar are in contention. Based on recent performances, Dev Khanal, Arjun Gharti Magar, Shubham Keshar Kandel, and Tritraj Das have lower chances of selection.
Among the remaining, Arif Sheikh and Bhim Sharki have better chances of making the 15-member squad. However, Bhim Sharki is being challenged by Ishan Pandey, while Arif Sheikh is challenged by Basir Ahmad. All these players are also being challenged by Sandeep Jora. Kushal Malla remains in the middle-order race as well. His performance in Australia has not pushed him out of contention, though Basir Ahmad is competing strongly against him.

Dipendra Singh Airee faces only a minor challenge from Pawan Sarraf in this series. Pawan, a right-arm off-break bowler who can also bat in the middle order, remains in consideration. However, since Nepal already has enough right-arm spinners, Pawan’s chances appear slim. Despite not showing great form recently, Dipendra Singh Airee’s place in the 15-member squad looks certain. Lokesh Bam will likely be included as a backup opener and lower-order batsman.

For pace-bowling all-rounders, Rupesh Singh, Gulshan Jha, and Adil Alam are in competition. Bibek Yadav seems unlikely to be included. Among the three, Gulshan’s selection is almost guaranteed, while one between Adil Alam and Rupesh Singh will make it to the squad. This time, Adil Alam appears more likely to edge out Rupesh Singh.

For spin all-rounders, Nepal will have Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel, and Dipendra Singh Airee. Kushal Malla’s inclusion will also depend on whether he can overcome competition from Ishan Pandey, Shubham Keshar Kandel, and Basir Ahmad in the middle order.

For fast bowlers, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Rijhan Dhakal, Aakash Chand, and Kamal Singh Airee are in contention. Given the importance of the series, Sompal Kami and Karan KC are almost certain selections, while Nandan Yadav looks most likely to take the third spot. In this scenario, Rijhan Dhakal, Aakash Chand, and Kamal Singh Airee will probably stay back in Nepal to support the team. Still, Aakash Chand might remain in consideration as a backup bowler.

For spinners, Nepal has no replacement for Sandeep Lamichhane—he will be an undisputed inclusion in the squad. Instead of Sahab Alam, Lalit Rajbanshi is more likely to travel to the UAE. Yuvaraj Khatri and Sagar Dhakal will probably serve as backup spinners.

Nepal’s 15-member squad for the UAE tour (Probabble):

1. Kushal Bhurtel

2. Aasif Sheikh

3. Sandeep Jora

4. Rohit Paudel

5. Dipendra Singh Airee

6. Gulshan Jha

7. Lokesh Bam

8. Adil Alam

9. Nandan Yadav

10. Sompal Kami

11. Karan KC

12. Sandeep Lamichhane

13. Lalit Rajbanshi

14. Arif Sheikh

15. Kushal Malla

Backups: Bhim Sharki, Anil Shah, and Rijhan Dhakal

By: Udeep Raj Dhungana

Sub- Editor/ Cricket Kitchen