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Paras Khadka, former captain of the Nepali national cricket team and current secretary of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), presented Nepal’s cricket journey and future ambitions at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Annual Conference held in Singapore. In his address, Khadka touched on the success of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), structural reforms, promotion of women’s cricket, and Nepal’s aspiration to attain Test nation status. Sharing his remarks on social media as well, he asserted that Nepal is now ready for the global stage.

Reflecting on the journey of Nepal cricket, Khadka said, “I led the national team for nearly two decades, taking it from Division 5 to achieving ODI status. Where we are now is incredible—but we must move ahead with a plan.” Describing last year’s NPL as a transformative moment, Khadka noted that the tournament gained international attention. “The NPL wasn’t confined to Nepal alone. Eight local franchise owners ran teams, attracting star players like Shikhar Dhawan and Jimmy Neesham. Cricket legends like Brian Lara visited, and Neesham won his first franchise title right here in Nepal.”

Highlighting the league’s symbolic gesture, Khadka said, “We placed a stone from Mt Everest on the NPL trophy to send a message to the world—that climate change is a grave issue, and Nepal lies at its heart. Even cricket can carry that message.”

Khadka also spoke about Nepal’s recent achievements on the global stage: “We’ve played in two World Cups, participated in the Asia Cup, and narrowly lost to South Africa by just one run in 2024. More than 8,000 Nepali fans were in the stadium in Dallas—that showed our strength.”

On women’s cricket, Khadka stressed its importance in Nepal’s pursuit of full ICC membership. “We’ve made women’s cricket a priority. For the first time, we’ve reached the global qualifiers. There’s no turning back now.”

Regarding government support, he added, “The national sports budget has doubled for the first time. A new international-standard stadium with floodlights is under construction. We’ve introduced the red-ball format in domestic cricket. While franchise cricket brings in revenue, we must also focus on Test cricket.”

Speaking about long-term goals, Khadka concluded, “We have the fans, government support, and backing from the ICC. We’re about to play our first-ever series against the West Indies. Becoming a Test nation is not just a dream—it’s our commitment.” 

Karnataka state authorities have blamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and its partners for a fatal stampede during last month’s IPL victory celebrations, Al Jazeera reported.

According to a report released Thursday, the team held a parade in Bengaluru on June 4 without formal police permission, despite a rejected request. The event drew massive crowds near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, resulting in a stampede that killed 11 people, aged 14 to 29, and injured over 50 others.

The report cited poor planning and lack of coordination by RCB, event organisers DNA, and the state cricket association. Four individuals, including a senior RCB executive, have been detained in connection with the incident, according to Al Jazeera.

RCB has not commented on the findings.

The closed camp of the Nepali team for the Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifiers of the ICC T20 World Cup has begun.

The closed camp started by the Cricket Association of Nepal from Thursday has 32 players.

The CAN has also called Mohammad Adil Alam (Adil Ansari) for the closed training.

Along with Captain Rohit Paudel, Kushal Bhurtel, Anil Sah, Asif Sheikh, Bhim Sarki, Gulshan Jha, Rupesh Singh, Basir Ahmed, Shahab Alam, Yuvraj Khatri, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Arif Sheikh, Nandan Yadav, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Rijan Dhakal, Pratish JC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kamal Singh Airee are in the closed training.

Sagar Dhakal, Kiran Thagunna, Sandeep Lamichhane, Akash Chand, Vivek Yadav, Mohammad Adil Alam, Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Zora, Sher Malla, Subha Kansakar, Arjun Gharti and Lokesh Bam are also in the closed camp.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has called up 32 players for a closed training camp.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the CAN said that it has called up 32 players for a closed training camp for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

The CAN has also called Mohammad Adil Alam (Adil Ansari) for the closed training.

Along with Captain Rohit Paudel, Kushal Bhurtel, Anil Sah, Asif Sheikh, Bhim Sarki, Gulshan Jha, Rupesh Singh, Basir Ahmed, Shahab Alam, Yuvraj Khatri, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Arif Sheikh, Nandan Yadav, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Rijan Dhakal, Pratish JC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kamal Singh Airee will be in the  closed training.

Sagar Dhakal, Kiran Thagunna, Sandeep Lamichhane, Akash Chand, Vivek Yadav, Mohammad Adil Alam, Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Zora, Sher Malla, Subha Kansakar, Arjun Gharti and Lokesh Bam will also be in the camp.