Cricket Kitchen

Monty Desai: Career Analysis as Nepali cricket Coach

January 30, 2025

At the beginning of 2023, Nepal’s ODI status was in serious jeopardy. With 12 matches left in the ICC World Cup League 2, nothing seemed to be going right for Nepal’s men’s cricket team. That’s when Monty Desai arrived as Nepal’s head coach — and everything changed.

Under Monty’s leadership, Nepal went on a dream run — winning 11 of the 12 remaining matches and successfully retaining ODI status for another four years. Nepal also qualified for the World Cup Qualifiers and played its first-ever ODI match against a Test-playing nation, Zimbabwe.

Later that year, Nepal qualified for the T20 World Cup after a decade, stunned South Africa with a near-upset, and gave Bangladesh a serious scare. For the first time in history, Nepal played in the Asia Cup, facing India and Pakistan in official matches.

All these historic achievements came under the guidance of Monty Desai. For both Monty and Nepal, 2023 was a golden year. Nepal qualified for the Asia Cup, the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and most importantly, retained its precious ODI status. Winning 11 out of 12 games felt nothing short of magic — and it was Monty’s “Happy Dressing Room” Slogan that made it possible.

Monty Desai : Success Or Failure? मोन्टी देसाई कती सफल? कती असफल?

Monty’s positive influence extended beyond the dressing room; the entire nation rejoiced in the team’s success. Every major qualification match saw top performances from Nepal.

Why Monty Desai’s Contract Was Not Renewed:

However, things started to unravel quickly.

Nepal’s performance in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe was disappointing. Despite a remarkable journey to get there, Nepal lost:

• To Zimbabwe by 8 wickets

• To West Indies by 101 runs

• To Netherlands by 7 wickets

Nepal only managed a consolation win against the USA but lost to Ireland in the playoff for 7th place, finishing 8th out of 10 teams. Meanwhile, Netherlands, Scotland, and Oman — all Associate nations — reached the Super Six.

At the 2023 Asia Cup, Nepal again failed to leave a mark. The only highlight was their running between the wickets.

From the start of 2024, Nepal’s decline became more visible. In the League 2 series hosted at home in February, Nepal won just 1 of 4 matches, a major disappointment on home soil.

Once a batting consultant, Monty Desai couldn’t stop Nepal’s batting collapse under his head coach tenure. No player could play a quality innings, and the lineup looked fragile.

In April 2024, Nepal had a forgettable campaign in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup — the gateway to the 2025 Asia Cup and ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Nepal finished fourth, losing to Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong, and was officially eliminated from the 2025 Asia Cup.

At the 2024 T20 World Cup, Nepal’s performance was again lacklustre. While they earned praise for pushing South Africa to the brink, they failed to close games against Bangladesh and South Africa — matches they could have won. Meanwhile, the USA upset Pakistan and directly qualified for the 2026 World Cup, overshadowing Nepal’s near-misses.

After the World Cup, calls for Monty Desai’s removal intensified. In the October–November 2024 League 2 series in Canada and the USA, Nepal’s struggles continued. The team won just one game in the USA and earned a washed-out draw. In Canada, they managed only one point.

Across 12 League 2 matches in 2024, Nepal won just 2, with 2 no-results, and sits 7th on the table with 6 points — a dangerous position for ODI status retention. This poor run was a major reason for not renewing Monty Desai’s contract.

Nepal failed to compete not only with Full Members but also top Associate teams. The country began sliding to the bottom tier among Associate nations.

Monty Desai: A Mixed Legacy

• 2023: Hugely successful

• 2024: Deeply disappointing

Monty Desai was 50% successful, 50% unsuccessful as Nepal’s coach.

Despite the downfall, Nepalese cricket fans will always remember Monty Desai for his humility and for orchestrating one of the most successful years in Nepal’s cricket history — 2023.