Cricket Kitchen

Nepal vs Netherlands: Pre-Match Report

July 23, 2026

After the first match, Nepal is on the back foot—both in terms of the result and the players’ mentality. Having suffered a heavy defeat in the opening game, Nepal enters this match under pressure, while the Netherlands will be much higher on confidence. Playing on home soil also gives the Dutch an additional advantage.

How much will Nepal change its playing XI for the second match of the series? What kind of team will the Netherlands field? How strong or how vulnerable is the Netherlands at home? Who has the upper hand in the head-to-head record between Nepal and the Netherlands? How will the ground and pitch influence the match? And if a team wins the toss, should they choose to bat or bowl first? All answers are in this pre-match report.

Watch the report:

Head To Head

Nepal and the Netherlands have faced each other seven times in One Day Internationals. Out of those seven encounters, Nepal has won four matches, while the Netherlands has defeated Nepal three times.

The two teams last met in Scotland in 2025. In that match, Nepal defeated the Netherlands by 16 runs.

Based on the results of their recent meetings, Nepal has held the upper hand. However, with the Netherlands playing at home and Nepal coming into this match after losing the first game of the series, the Dutch will have a significant advantage.

Overall, Nepal holds a comfortable lead in the head-to-head record.

Ground, Pitch, and Toss

Only seven 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 five matches.

The pitch has a light covering of grass, making it more favorable for pace bowlers. The records from the last seven matches also support this. In particular, the pitch offers assistance for swing bowling during the first 20 overs, after which it gradually flattens out and becomes easier for batting. Therefore, if Nepal wins the toss against Netherlands, choosing to bowl first would be the better option.

After the first match of this series, Nepal is now fully aware of the most challenging conditions at this venue. Even if Nepal is required to bat first, they should be able to make better use of that experience.

What Total Will Be Enough to Win?

T win;

Bowling first Team, they should look to restrict the oposition to around 230 runs.

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

What Is the Netherlands Team Like?

The Netherlands is one of the strongest Associate cricket teams. The Dutch side was in excellent form during 2024 and 2025, but their recent performances have been average. Out of their last ten matches, the Netherlands has won only three. Two matches ended without a result, while they lost five games. Two of those five defeats came against Nepal. At home, however, the Netherlands has won three of its last four matches. At Sportpark ground, they have won one and lost one of their last two matches. Like Nepal, the Netherlands has also struggled with the form of its top five batters.

Netherlands Probable Playing XI

Cedric de Lange, Max O’Dowd, Zach Lion-Cachet, Scott Edwards (Captain), Bas de Leede, Roelof van der Merwe, Vikramjit Singh, Aryan Dutt, Tim Pringle, Noah Croes and Logan van Beek.

The rest of the squad is expected to remain unchanged. The Netherlands is likely to trust this lineup. However, since Nepal’s batters have struggled against left-arm spin, there is a strong possibility that the Dutch will include both left-arm spinners, Tim Pringle and Roelof van der Merwe, in the playing XI. If they opt for only one left-arm spinner, right-arm fast bowler Kyle Klein could make the team instead.

What Will Nepal’s Team Look Like?

Nepal has lost all five of its most recent One Day Internationals played overseas. This statistic will not help boost the confidence of the Nepali players. Another defeat would significantly reduce Nepal’s chances of finishing in the top four. The heavy loss in the first match at this ground has also placed Nepal in a difficult position. However, Nepal has bounced back from similar situations many times before and has produced positive results. Nepal has defeated the Netherlands in three of their last four meetings, and those statistics will provide some encouragement.

Internally, Nepal’s middle-order problems remain unresolved. The pace bowlers have not been able to make early breakthroughs for quite some time. The team has relied heavily on its spinners, but when the spinners fail to take wickets, Nepal has consistently found itself under pressure.

Following the first defeat, Nepal is expected to make a few changes to its lineup.

Nepal Probable Playing XI

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

Despite the opening pair’s failure in the first match, Nepal is unlikely to change its opening combination against the Netherlands. If there is any change, there is only a slight possibility that Arjun Kumal could replace one of the two openers. Given Ishan Pandey’s recent struggles, Bhim Sharki appears to have a stronger chance of replacing him. Rohit Paudel is expected to bat at number four, Dipendra Singh Airee at number five, Aarif Sheikh at number six, Gulshan Jha at number seven, Nandan Yadav at number eight, Sandeep Lamichhane at number nine, and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi at number eleven.

Since Lalit has been comparatively successful against the Netherlands, there is a strong possibility that he will replace Karan KC in the playing XI. It appears Nepal included Lalit in the 15 members squad specifically for matches against the Netherlands. Despite the embarrassing defeat against Namibia, a major overhaul of the Nepali team seems unlikely. Keeping the team’s requirements and the Netherlands’ weaknesses in mind, a maximum of three changes could be made. Naturally, at least two changes are expected.

The Netherlands currently stands third in the points table with 32 points. Nepal is fifth in the standings. Nepal, Namibia, and Canada are all tied on 24 points, with Nepal ahead only on net run rate. Another defeat would leave Nepal’s hopes of finishing in the top four, qualifying for the World Cup Qualifier, and retaining ODI status alive only in a mathematical sense. Therefore, from every perspective, Nepal will enter this match under tremendous pressure against the Netherlands.

 

– Udeep Raj Dhungana

S. Editor / Cricketkitchen.com