Nepal has made history by reaching the semifinals of the 4th Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, which is being held in Pakistan. Nepal has previously participated in three editions of the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup but has never made it to the semifinals.
This time, securing a spot in the top four and advancing to the semifinals has brought immense excitement to the Nepalese Blind Cricket Team.
“We’ve played ODIs and T20s before but never achieved significant results. This time, despite challenges, we achieved what we aimed for, which feels rewarding,” said Ramesh Baniya, captain of the Nepal Blind Cricket Team, in a phone interview with Onlinekhabar from Pakistan. “It’s a matter of pride for us. We are very happy.”
Head coach Nahendra Niraula also called this a historic moment. “Our blind cricket team played its first World Cup in 2012. Since then, we haven’t achieved any results. This time, reaching the semifinals is a historic achievement, and we are thrilled to have done something significant for the country,” he said.
Nepal Secures Fourth Spot in the League Stage
After the league matches concluded on Saturday, Nepal secured fourth place. Initially, seven teams were supposed to participate, but India withdrew at the last minute, leaving six teams in the tournament. Nepal won two matches and lost three in the league stage.
Nepal lost its first two matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but strengthened its semifinal prospects by defeating Afghanistan and South Africa. In the final league match, Nepal faced a strong Pakistan team and was defeated. With India’s absence, their opponents received walkover victories and earned two points each. As a result, Nepal finished fourth with six points from six matches.
Nepal lost to Sri Lanka by 70 runs and Bangladesh by 67 runs. However, they achieved a resounding 108-run victory over Afghanistan and secured a thrilling 11-run win against South Africa. In their final league game, Nepal was defeated by Pakistan by 10 wickets.
Strategy Shift Brings Results
Captain Ramesh Baniya stated that the team had set a goal to win the first game, but poor batting performances led to losses. The team changed its strategy and batting order, which brought better results in subsequent matches. “We aimed to win the first match, but despite good fielding and bowling, poor batting caused us to lose the first two games. Both matches were winnable,” he said. “From the third game, we changed the batting order and got good results.”
Had Nepal won its initial matches, it could have avoided facing Pakistan in the semifinals. However, due to the losses, Nepal had to play against Pakistan.
A Struggle-Filled Journey to the World Cup
Nepal’s Blind Cricket Team faced numerous challenges to participate in the World Cup. The team trained in Dang with support from CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal) but had to rely on others for shoes and uniforms.
Despite various difficulties, the Nepalese Blind Cricket Team made history by reaching the World Cup semifinals. Captain Baniya expressed gratitude to CAN and cricketer Sharad Vesawkar for their support. “Sharad sir provided us with shoes. We traveled by road to Pakistan. From Bhairahawa, we bid farewell and took two buses to Gorakhpur. From Gorakhpur, we planned to take a train to Amritsar, but it stopped 500 km before Amritsar. We then took three buses to reach Amritsar. Since the border was closed, we stayed overnight and arrived in Pakistan the next day,” Baniya shared.
