Two years ago, the Nepal national cricket team appointed Monty Desai as the head coach at a time when the team was on the verge of losing its ODI status. Taking a significant risk, Desai not only secured Nepal’s ODI recognition but also elevated the team from near the bottom of League 2 to an impressive third-place finish.
As two years have passed since his appointment, Nepal’s batting performance has significantly improved. The team delivered commendable performances against Test-playing nations like West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland during the World Cup qualifiers and later competed against India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Nepal also created history by qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the second time. However, their low-scoring losses against South Africa and Bangladesh in the tournament denied them a historic upset.
Amid discussions regarding Desai’s contract renewal, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a special ‘batting clinic’ program for 20 young batters under Desai’s guidance. This initiative is expected to be highly beneficial for emerging talents outside the senior team. Desai, who has previously served as a batting consultant for West Indies, has also worked with Canada and UAE’s national teams. He has been associated with IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions.
Improvement in ODI Performance
Since Desai’s arrival, Nepal has won 20 out of 36 ODIs, with 15 losses and one no-result. In contrast, before his tenure, Nepal had won only 15 out of 37 ODIs.
Nepal achieved five consecutive victories under Desai and won 11 of their last 12 matches in League 2, securing direct qualification for the World Cup qualifiers instead of facing relegation.
The team also remained unbeaten against League 2 winners Scotland, winning both home games and defeating them again in Dallas, USA. A rain-affected match prevented a potential clean sweep.
Out of Nepal’s 15 ODI losses under Desai, five came against Test-playing nations—India, Pakistan, West Indies, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. Despite these losses, Nepal managed to cross the 230-run mark in matches against India, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and West Indies.
Nepal suffered defeats in both matches against the USA in their home conditions and lost both encounters against Namibia in the new League 2 season. The team also had mixed results against the Netherlands, winning one game and losing the other. Critics raised concerns over Nepal’s poor results in the initial series of the new League 2 season, attributing it to the team’s increased focus on T20 cricket.
Transformation in ODI Team’s Batting
Nepal’s batting has undergone a significant transformation under Desai. Before his arrival, Nepal’s average runs per wicket stood at 21.82, which has since improved to 27.65, marking a 26% increase.
The run rate has also seen a notable rise. Previously, Nepal scored at a rate of 4.27 runs per over, but under Desai’s guidance, it has improved to 4.97 runs per over.
Nepal recorded its first-ever 300-plus total in ODIs, scoring 310 against Oman—the highest ODI score in the nation’s history.
Team totals have also improved. Before Desai, Nepal had surpassed the 250-run mark only four times, whereas the team has now crossed that milestone 10 times.
Before his tenure, Nepal failed to reach 200 runs in 26 matches, losing 20 of them. Since his arrival, Nepal has fallen short of 200 runs in only 14 games, losing eight of those. The team has struggled to reach 200 runs only three times at home, all during the latest League 2 series.
T20I Performance Under Desai
In the 38 T20Is Nepal has played under Desai, the team has maintained an impressive run rate of 8.32 per over, compared to 7.52 before his tenure. The batting average per wicket has also increased from 21.17 to 23.71.
Nepal won 21 out of 38 T20Is under Desai, whereas in the 53 matches before his arrival, Nepal had won 31 games. The team’s competitive performances against South Africa and Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup further highlighted their progress. The narrow one-run loss against South Africa served as a significant moment in Nepal’s recognition on the global stage.
Strengthening of Batting Partnerships
Since Desai’s appointment, Nepal has achieved record-breaking partnerships across multiple batting positions. The team has registered eight century partnerships in ODIs, including three partnerships exceeding 150 runs.
One of the most notable stands was the 171-run opening partnership between Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh against Zimbabwe on their home turf. In fact, all of Nepal’s top five highest partnerships in ODIs have come under Desai’s tenure.
A major concern for Nepal before Desai’s arrival was the inconsistency of its openers. However, Bhurtel and Sheikh have now established themselves as a reliable pair, recording three century partnerships together.
In T20Is, Nepal has also broken multiple partnership records. In the 2022 T20 World Cup qualifiers, Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee’s 171-run partnership against the Philippines was later surpassed in the 2023 Asian Games by Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla, who put together 193 runs against Mongolia.
Losses and Areas for Improvement
Among Nepal’s 15 ODI losses under Desai, four came against Test nations, all in overseas conditions. In three of these matches, Nepal managed to surpass the 230-run mark. The weakest performance came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where Nepal was bowled out for just 104 runs under floodlights in Multan. All-rounder Sompal Kami later admitted that the team struggled to adapt to the conditions, despite them being favorable for batting.
Another disappointing defeat came against the USA in League 2, where Nepal, despite setting a formidable target of 286, failed to defend it. The team used nine bowlers, but apart from Bhurtel and Lalit Rajbanshi, all struggled. USA opener Shayan Jahangir scored a century to lead his team to victory. Nepal had the USA at 197-6 in 36 overs but failed to take crucial wickets, eventually losing by three wickets in the final over.
Another close defeat occurred against Oman in Canada when Nepal was just one wicket away from victory. With Oman needing eight runs in the final over, Shakeel Ahmed and Kaleemullah secured victory with two boundaries.
Similarly, in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, Nepal lost to Ireland despite setting a target of 269. Ireland was at 134-5 in 26 overs but managed to win in the final over with two wickets remaining.
In the recent home series, Nepal lost to Namibia while defending a modest target of 169. Despite reducing Namibia to 118-6, Nepal struggled to take further wickets, leading to a disappointing loss. The inability to play a full 50 overs and poor shot selection were major issues, with three top-order batters getting out for ducks.
Conclusion
Under Monty Desai’s leadership, Nepal has seen remarkable improvements in batting, performance consistency, and partnerships. However, challenges remain, particularly in maintaining consistency against higher-ranked teams and defending totals effectively. With discussions ongoing regarding Desai’s contract renewal, Nepal’s cricketing future depends on how the team builds on this progress and addresses its weaknesses.
