Nepal's cricket series against India A, scheduled to be played on December 9, 11 and 13, has been postponed after Nepal was chosen to host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualifier playoff, the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) has confirmed. The qualifier playoff will be staged in Kathmandu from December 4 to 21, a window that overlaps directly with all three of the dates originally set aside for the bilateral series. With the country now preparing to welcome the ICC tournament, CAN has placed the India A fixtures on hold and says a revised schedule for the series will be announced soon.
A home series put on hold
The series against India A had been arranged as a three-match engagement, with fixtures planned for December 9, 11 and 13. CAN, the governing body for cricket in Nepal, announced the postponement after Nepal was selected as the host of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualifier playoff. According to the association, the decision follows from Nepal's new hosting responsibility, which covers the entire stretch of December 4 to 21 in Kathmandu.
The clash between the two events is clear from the calendar alone. The first match of the proposed series was due to be played on December 9, only five days after the playoff was set to begin, while the final planned fixture on December 13 would have fallen in the middle of the tournament's run. With every one of the series dates sitting inside the playoff window, CAN has opted to postpone the bilateral fixtures rather than attempt to stage both competitions at the same time.
The key facts around the decision are as follows:
- Original series dates: December 9, 11 and 13
- Opponent: India A
- Reason for postponement: Nepal chosen to host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualifier playoff
- Playoff dates and venue: December 4 to 21, Kathmandu
- Revised series schedule: to be announced soon
A visit from India A is a notable fixture for Nepali cricket, and the three December dates had stood as among the standout items on the domestic calendar for the month. The postponement therefore represents a significant change to Nepal's cricket schedule, even though the series itself remains intact and is now simply awaiting new dates.
Kathmandu prepares for the qualifier playoff
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualifier playoff will run in Kathmandu from December 4 to 21, handing the Nepali capital close to three weeks of competition. As its title indicates, the playoff forms part of the qualification pathway toward the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, placing Nepal at the centre of an international tournament at a crucial stage of the global cricket calendar.
Hosting duties on this scale carry substantial organizational demands for the host association, and CAN's decision to clear the calendar around the playoff underlines the priority the tournament now holds. By moving the India A series out of the December 4 to 21 period, the association has ensured that the country's attention, facilities and resources can be directed toward the successful delivery of the qualifier playoff in Kathmandu.
New dates for the Nepal-India A series expected soon
CAN has stated that a fresh schedule for the Nepal-India A series will be announced soon, making clear that the fixtures have been postponed rather than scrapped. The association will now look to slot the three matches into a window that does not conflict with the qualifier playoff, which runs through December 21, giving supporters clarity that the series against India A remains on the agenda even as its timing shifts.
The postponement also reshapes the shape of Nepal's December. Rather than opening the month with bilateral matches against India A from December 9, Nepali cricket followers will instead see the country begin its hosting duties for the World Cup qualifier playoff on December 4 and carry that tournament through to December 21. Once the qualifier playoff concludes, attention can turn to the revised dates for the India A series, which CAN has promised to confirm shortly.
The development was reported by RatoPati, which cited CAN's announcement of the postponement and the forthcoming revised schedule.
