Cricket Kitchen

Preview – Nepal Vs Namibia I 1st ODI I CWC League I Netherlands Series

July 21, 2026

Nepal will play their first match of the Netherlands Series against Namibia. What are the conditions of the venue? How have the recent matches gone at this ground? What should Team do if they win the toss? How strong is the Namibian team? Which team has the advantage in the head to head records? Which players are likely to feature in Nepal’s playing XI? And which players from both Nepal and Namibia will be the ones to watch? Here, we will discuss all of these in detail.

Nepal played its first-ever One Day International (ODI) match against the Netherlands on Dutch soil. This will be Nepal’s first ODI tour of the Netherlands since 2018. Nepal has played two ODI matches in the Netherlands, winning one and losing the other.

For Namibia, this will be their first-ever ODI match in the Netherlands. This tournament marks Namibia’s first visit to Dutch soil.

Both Nepal and Namibia have limited knowledge of the conditions and pitches in the Netherlands. However, while Nepal was playing in Jersey, Namibia was playing matches against the Netherlands A team.

Venue, Recent Matches, and Toss

Only six One Day Internationals have been played at this Sportpark ground in the Netherlands so far. Teams batting first have won twice, while teams chasing have won four times.

The pitch has a light grass covering, making it more favorable for fast bowlers. The records from the last six matches support this trend. In particular, the pitch offers considerable assistance to swing bowlers during the first 20 overs. After that, the wicket gradually becomes flatter, making batting easier. Therefore, if Any sides win the toss, choosing to bowl first would be the ideal decision.

What Total Should Nepal Restrict or Score?

Bowling First Team, they should aim to restrict Batting team to around 230 runs.

Batting First Team, they should look to post a total between 260 and 280 runs.

Under either of these scenarios, Team would have a strong chance of winning the match.

Head to Head

Nepal and Namibia have met eight times in One Day Internationals. One match ended without a result due to rain. Nepal has won two matches, while Namibia has won five. Therefore, Namibia holds the advantage in the head-to-head record.

During the 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, Namibia defeated Nepal in the first match played at Nepal’s home ground in Kirtipur. Namibia went on to beat Nepal in both matches of that series.

How Strong is the Namibian Team?

Namibia currently stands in seventh place on the points table. Out of 28 matches played, they have won 10 and lost 16, while two matches ended without a result.

Among their last ten matches, Namibia has won five, lost three, and shared points in two no-result games.

Namibia started this League 2 campaign in excellent form, winning several matches early on, but later lost momentum and suffered defeats in most of the middle phase of the tournament. Recently, however, they have regained their rhythm. Although they lost to the USA, the Netherlands, and Scotland, they registered victories against Oman, the UAE, and Canada.

 

Namibia Players to Watch

Nepal will need to be cautious of Namibia’s number-three batter Jan Frylinck, captain Gerhard Erasmus, and wicketkeeper batter Zane Green.

With the ball, Bernard Scholtz and Ruben Trumpelmann could pose significant threats to Nepal.

Namibia Probable Playing XI

Michael van Lingen, Malan Kruger, Jan Frylinck, Gerhard Erasmus (Captain), Louren Steenkamp, Zane Green, JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Dylan Leicher, Bernard Scholtz and Jack Brassell.

How Strong is the Nepal Team?

Nepal has won six of theirs’ last ten matches. At home, Nepal won six out of its last eight matches, giving the team high confidence.

Although Nepal lost all four matches during the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series in the UAE, they bounced back strongly in Europe during the middle of 2025, winning three of their four matches in Scotland. During that series, Nepal defeated two of the strongest teams in CWC League 2, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Nepal Players to Watch

Bowlers

Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC will be the key bowlers.

Karan KC has the ability to swing the ball during the opening overs. If he bowls to his natural strengths, he can send Namibia’s top-order batters back to the pavilion early.

In the middle overs, Sandeep Lamichhane will carry the main responsibility. Alongside him, Dipendra Singh Airee and other part-time bowlers can also contribute with wickets, as Namibia is expected to field at least four left-handed batters. In such a situation, Dipendra Singh Airee’s bowling could prove to be a major asset for Nepal.

Batters

Kushal Bhurtel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Ishan Pandey will be Nepal’s batters to watch. All three have been in excellent form recently.

In addition, both opening batters, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh, have impressive records against Namibia. There is a strong possibility that one of the two openers could dominate the match.

 

 

 

Which Playing XI Will Nepal Field Against Namibia?

Here, I will present two possible playing XIs—one that Nepal is most likely to field, and another that I believe Nepal should field.

Nepal’s Possible Playing XI

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Nandan Yadav or Lalit Rajbanshi.

The Playing XI I Believe Nepal Should Field

Kushal Bhurtel, Arjun Kumal, Ishan Pandey, Binod Bhandari, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, and Sandeep Lamichhane.

Rather than playing three specialist fast bowlers, Nepal should include one extra batter and rely on all-rounders to complete the fast-bowling quota.

Under this strategy, Sandeep Lamichhane would remain the primary spinner, supported by Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Bhurtel. Sandeep, Dipendra, and either Kushal or Rohit should aim to bowl between 22 and 25 overs collectively. Meanwhile, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, and Aarif Sheikh should share the remaining 25 to 28 overs.

This playing XI would also include an extra specialist batter. Apart from left-arm spin, Nepal would not low short much in any department.

Since Namibia is expected to have four to six left-handed batters, Nepal may not prefer to field Lalit Rajbanshi. Nepal would also have the flexibility of using Ishan Pandey for 2 to 4 overs if required.

With Aarif Sheikh and Rohit Paudel not producing many big scores in the middle order recently, promoting Binod Bhandari to bat at either number four or six would strengthen Nepal’s batting lineup. In my opinion, batting Binod at number four would serve the team’s interests best.

My Preferred Nepal Batting Order

1. Kushal Bhurtel
2. Arjun Kumal
3. Ishan Pandey
4. Binod Bhandari
5. Rohit Paudel
6. Dipendra Singh Airee
7. Aarif Sheikh
8. Gulshan Jha
9. Sompal Kami
10. Karan KC
11. Sandeep Lamichhane

However, Nepal is more likely to field the following Playing XI in its opening match against Namibia:

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Nandan Yadav or Lalit Rajbanshi.