Nepal captain Sandeep Lamichhane won the toss and elected to bat first against Oman in the final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 ODI series at the Oman Cricket Academy, with the visitors' place in the points table hanging on the result. Nepal have made one change to their side, bringing in Dev Khanal in place of Arjun Kumal, as they chase the victory that would lift them into the top six of the standings on 30 points. Playing the last fixture of the series, Nepal know that nothing short of a win will secure the sixth-place finish they are chasing, and the toss decision signals their intent to seize control of the contest from the first ball.
Lamichhane Opts to Bat First
Winning the toss handed Nepal the first advantage of the day, and Lamichhane put his batters in without hesitation. Batting first allows a team to set the terms of the contest: a substantial first-innings total removes the uncertainty of chasing and lets the bowling unit defend a clear target. Early runs on a fresh surface can also create immediate scoreboard pressure, a consideration captains weigh carefully at the toss. By choosing to bat, Lamichhane has placed the responsibility squarely on Nepal's batting group to make the most of the conditions before wear begins to influence the pitch.
The toss outcome was confirmed across Nepali media, with Thaha Khabar and Global Aawaj both reporting that Lamichhane called correctly and chose to bat at the Oman Cricket Academy, the venue for this final League 2 fixture.
The key details of the match so far:
- Nepal bat first after captain Sandeep Lamichhane won the toss
- Dev Khanal replaces Arjun Kumal, the only change to the XI
- Venue: the Oman Cricket Academy
- A win lifts Nepal to sixth place on 30 points in the League 2 table
One Change to the Playing Eleven
Nepal's solitary alteration sees Dev Khanal come into the eleven in place of Arjun Kumal, a change confirmed in the pre-match reports filed by Nepal Views. Making just one change for such a consequential match suggests a management team largely satisfied with its combination and unwilling to tinker with a settled core. Continuity of selection at a decisive moment can steady a dressing room: players know their roles, and the balance of the side that has carried Nepal through the series remains intact.
For Khanal, the selection is an opportunity to contribute in a high-stakes environment, with his innings potentially shaping Nepal's total and, by extension, their push for sixth place. For Kumal, it means waiting on the sidelines as his teammates contest a match with direct consequences for the points table.
Victory Would Lift Nepal to Sixth Place
The arithmetic at the toss is simple: win, and Nepal climb to sixth in the League 2 points table with 30 points; fail, and that position slips away. As the final match of the series, there is no later opportunity to recover the points, which gives every over of this fixture added weight and leaves Nepal with no safety net.
The ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 sits within the qualification pathway for cricket's premier 50-over tournament, and finishing positions in the points table shape what comes next for the nations involved. A top-six finish would therefore represent a meaningful outcome for Nepal's campaign, a reflection of the points accumulated across the series and an indicator of the side's standing among the associate nations competing at this level. The team arrives at this final fixture knowing that the chance to end the competition inside the top six rests entirely on how they perform over the course of the match.
Anything less than victory, by contrast, would leave Nepal short of the top six they have been pursuing, making the batting effort that began at the toss all the more important.
Oman Look to Spoil Nepal's Plans at Home
Standing between Nepal and their goal is an Oman side playing on home soil at the Oman Cricket Academy. Familiarity with the venue and its conditions is a natural asset for the hosts, who will be determined to close the series by denying Nepal the result they need. For Oman, the fixture also offers the chance to sign off from the series with a win in home conditions.
Both teams, then, have reasons to want the win, but the pressure sits more heavily on Nepal, whose points-table position depends on the result. That asymmetry is likely to shape the way the visitors approach their innings, with the batting group under instructions, in effect, to post a total worth defending.
With the toss won and batting first secured, Nepal's immediate task is to build a total capable of applying sustained pressure. How the top order negotiates the new ball against Oman's attack, and whether Nepal can convert starts into substantial partnerships, will go a long way toward deciding whether the side leaves Oman with the sixth place it has been chasing.
