Nepal A begin Top End T20 campaign against NT Strike in Australia

Nepal A will begin their campaign in the 2026 Study NT Top End T20 Series in Australia on Friday, taking on hosts NT Strike in Darwin.

The match at DXC Arena is scheduled to start at 6pm local time, or 2:15pm Nepal time.

Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) has sent a 15-member Nepal A squad to Australia, with Anil Kumar Sah named as captain.

The squad includes Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Trit Raj Das, Mayan Yadav, Pawan Sarraf, Dipak Dumre, Kushal Malla, Rashid Khan, Narayan Joshi, Aakash Chand, Shahab Alam, Bipin Khatri, Yuvraj Khatri and Rijan Dhakal.

The tournament features nine teams and will be played in Darwin from 21 to 30 August. Each team will play six matches in the round-robin stage, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.

After Friday’s opening match against NT Strike, Nepal A will face Bangladesh High Performance on 22 August.

They will then play Hobart Hurricanes Academy on 24 August, ACT Comets on 26 August, HH Kingsmen Academy on 27 August and Cricket Victoria on 29 August.

The tournament brings together a mixture of Australian domestic and academy sides alongside international teams, including Bangladesh High Performance and New Zealand A. The competition is designed to provide players with high-level experience and a pathway towards senior cricket.

For Nepal, the series provides an opportunity for players outside the current senior setup to push for national-team selection. Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla and Lokesh Bam are among the more experienced names in the squad, while several younger players will be looking to make an impression in Darwin.

Nepal previously competed in the Top End T20 Series, making their first appearance in the Darwin tournament in 2025. Their return gives Nepal A another opportunity to gain experience against a range of international and Australian opposition.

The tournament will conclude with the semi-finals and grand final on 30 August.