T20 World Cup: Behind cricket craze and steady growth in Nepal

Nepalese fans are making waves at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Mumbai, showcasing their passion and support for the national team amidst political turmoil.

Mumbai: A placard held by a fan during Nepal’s washed-out match against Sri Lanka in Florida at the 2024 T20 World Cup read thus: “If ICC schedules matches for Nepal in the moon. Nepalese fans will be there.”

Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Group C - England v Nepal - Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India - February 8, 2026 Nepal's Sandeep Lamichhane celebrates with teammate Rohit Paudel after taking the wicket of England's Tom Banton REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (REUTERS)

Not sure about the moon, but Nepalese fans are indeed there in Mumbai. And they are making their presence felt in the early stages of the 2026 T20 World Cup unlike any other nation’s travelling fanbase.

This is the moment Nepal cricket had been waiting for. A dream, as a Nepal fan termed it, to play a World Cup in India. The excitement among the Nepal contingent – from players to officials to travelling fans – is palpable, and the support that their national team attracts is evident in the 17,000-plus that flocked the Wankhede Stadium for Nepal’s tournament opener against England.

Most of those fans were there for Nepal. And most of them had travelled from across the border – taking long train journeys or connecting flights – and even from places like Dubai, UK and Australia.

Nepal have featured in two previous World Cups, in the US and Bangladesh, but being based in Mumbai and playing at the Wankhede Stadium is a special feeling. For players and fans alike.

“At one point, if a team wanted to be taken seriously, you had to make a mark in countries like England and Australia. Now, it is India. Which is why the excitement is so high,” said Dipankar Dangol, a travelling fan who works at the Dubai airport with Emirates Airlines.

And, well, who’s not going to take Nepal seriously after their opening act?

The passion for cricket in Nepal runs deep, and goes back a long way. Even when the country’s national team wasn’t running Test-playing nations close, people would be glued to television sets back home watching cricket and cheering for India.

“More than half of the population lives in the southern part of Nepal, which borders India. So, even when Nepal’s national team was not doing well, people used to watch cricket,” said Samagra Adhikari, 25, an engineer in Kathmandu. “Now, with the team doing well, they have found their national identity.”

Rising stocks, popularity

Nepal’s uptick in on-field show also added fuel to its off-field popularity drive. In the 2024 edition where they lost to South Africa by just one run, Dallas and Florida had packed stadiums filled with Nepalese expats. Three of the 2024 World Cup’s top five watched games on the ICC free live stream featured Nepal matches (behind India-Pakistan and India-Australia).

Last year, Nepal beat West Indies 2-1 in a T20I series in Sharjah. Anticipating their entry into this World Cup, a large chunk of fans travelled for the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman, where Nepal won to seal their ticket.

This World Cup has come during a period of political turmoil in Nepal, with elections slated in one month’s time. The Nepalese are looking at cricket, and the current squad, to connect the nation.

“This team represents all regions – east, far west, north, south, main regions and hilly regions. So, all the people can relate to these players,” said Adhikari.

Mumbai connect

“They want to inspire a new generation of cricketers in the country, and it is really needed,” said former Nepal all-rounder and veteran coach Jagat Tamatta.

Tamatta, who coached the Nepal senior side and four batches of their Under-19 team to the ICC Under-19 World Cups, has an old connection with Mumbai. He used to study in Dayanand High School in Matunga and learnt his cricket under the late Ramakant Achrekar, who was his school coach.

Tamatta then moved to Nepal, and was part of the first batch of the 1996 cricket team that played the ICC Trophy. He has also played international hockey for Nepal, in the South Asian Games.

“Our cricket started growing when, in 2014, we played the World Cup in Bangladesh. It got an impetus there, and the ICC also started giving funds,” said Tamatta, who was the coach when Nepal played their first ODI, in 2018, under the captaincy of Paras Khadka.

Infrastructure, NPL boost

The infrastructure might have developed now, but it wasn’t the case earlier. The country had just one international ground, the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. It’s lit with floodlights now, but Bhattarai recalls going for matches there even when it wasn’t.

“Our junior cricket is really good. In the ACC, we have been champions many times. We have played the Under-19 World Cup eight times,” said Tamatta, currently a member of Nepal’s National Sports Council.

The Nepal Premier League (NPL) has come in to complement this system. Its franchises are owned by businessmen in Nepal, and the eight teams have featured foreign players like Chris Lynn, Martin Guptill and Shikhar Dhawan.

All of its matches are played to packed stadiums, and beamed live across the country. Nepal loves its franchise cricket too. Even the one in India. Bhattarai and Adhikari have also travelled to India for Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The latter founded the RCB Fan Club Nepal, an official fan group that has 45,000 followers on Instagram.

It is this World Cup in India, however, that has got Nepal’s cricket fans buzzing the most. The Wankhede already felt it, and there’s more to come.

“The backing of the travelling fans will boost their confidence, and anything can happen. I can say that the team will play good cricket and entertain everyone,” said Tamatta.

The team sure did on Sunday. And the team sure felt the love of its home fans.

“Our fans, they are the soul,” said Nandan Yadav, Nepal’s fast bowler. “They always support us. Wherever we go, it feels like a home ground for us.”