Nepal captain Rohit Paudel is hoping to have the same impact on Nepal cricket in this 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup that Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla and Shakti Gauchan had through their performances in 2014. 

Photo credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna in Grand Prairie, Texas (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
On the eve of Nepal’s first T20 World Cup appearance in a decade, 21-year-old captain Rohit Paudel speaks as someone balancing the exuberance of youth with the mindset of a grizzled veteran. Since making his senior team debut as a 15-year-old during Nepal’s famous run at 2018 WCL Division Three in Namibia, Paudel has been a mainstay of the side. Though he has been part of two 50-over World Cup Qualifiers where he has had opportunities to take on Full Member teams, nothing compares to being on a full-fledged World Cup stage. 
 
“It’s a dream come true moment,” Paudel told DreamCricket in an exclusive interview in Grand Prairie ahead of Nepal’s opening match of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Thursday against the Netherlands. “Always as a kid, I wanted to play a World Cup and to represent Nepal also. So as a player and as a captain, I’m going to be playing my first World Cup. So it’s a dream come true moment for me. I’ll enjoy that moment.”
 
“This is my first World Cup, and that is the most exciting thing. I’ve not played any Under-19 World Cup or any World Cup. So the first World Cup is always a very special one so we all are very excited and we are in a group with good teams. I’ve not expected that USA will make such a ground. They have done a great job. So we are looking forward to the first game.””
 
Nepal’s final warm-up match ahead of the tournament did not go as Paudel had hoped as his side suffered a lopsided loss to Canada. However, star allrounder Dipendra Singh Airee never took the field, which impacted the side in all three facets of the game. Even though Nepal is in a highly competitive group paired with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Netherlands, Paudel says he is taking an optimistic view of his side’s realistic chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage based in part on what he has seen Associate peers do recently against Full Member teams in their group. 
 
“If you see that in the last month, you have seen USA beating Bangladesh,” Paudel said. “You have seen that Netherlands beat Sri Lanka. In T20, you cannot predict one team is strong and another team is weaker. All the teams are equally balanced and equally good in this competition. If we play the best cricket we know and play our best skills, I think we can beat any of the teams. But the most important thing is that you have to perform your skill 100%. We are very well-prepared and looking forward to that challenge.”
 
The only remaining player from Nepal’s prior T20 World Cup experience in 2014 is fast bowler Sompal Kami. Despite the relative inexperience across the rest of the squad playing on such a big stage, Paudel says he doesn’t think his side will be overwhelmed. When big moments unfold, Paudel believes the entire group will be prepared but says he is glad he can rely on Kami’s experience when needed.
 
“Sompal Dai has that experience of 10 years,” Paudel said. “I’ve known him for 5-6 years now. His work ethic is great. As a player, he’s a matchwinner. Having such players is great in a team. As a team, we are very well balanced and we are looking forward to it.”
 
The biggest adjustment that Nepal has had to make since arriving has been the weather conditions. The Dallas metroplex has produced a mercurial blend of heat and rain over the last week. Several Canada players had to be taken off the field after suffering muscle cramps in the stifling conditions and Nepal’s second official warm-up match that was scheduled against USA wound up being washed out. But Paudel says he believes the extra time Nepal has had in Texas after spending a week in Houston prior to coming to Dallas has allowed them to better acclimatize. 
 
“The heat is very strong,” Paudel said. “We played the game against Canada and it’s not easy to play here. But our nutritionist and trainer are very focused on that, about hydration and taking care of our body. It’s very important to be fit before the game because a 10:30 am start is not an easy one. T20 is an intensity game and the weather is too hot, but we’ll be prepared.”
 
Though advancing into the Super 8 phase is a key goal, Paudel also understands the bigger picture. Reflecting back to when he was younger and watching the previous generation of Nepal heroes led by captain Paras Khadka defeat Hong Kong and Afghanistan in the 2014 T20 World Cup while falling just short against Bangladesh in their bid to reach the Super 10 stage in 2014, Paudel knows the impact that his side can have on young kids watching these World Cup matches back home and is hoping to pay it forward for the next wave of Nepal players. 
 
“In 2014, while seeing Nepal playing on the TV in the big stage, that inspired me a lot,” Paudel said. “As a player and as an individual, when you see your country is playing on a big stage, I think that inspires you. So Paras Dai, Gyanu Dai, Shakti Dai, Basant Dai, everyone inspired me especially the way they played cricket in that tournament. That inspired us.
 
“In 2014 World Cup, I was inspired. In 2024 World Cup, I have that responsibility to play good cricket. As a team, we need to play good cricket to inspire the next generation of Nepali cricketers. So we have that responsibility and we’ll play according to that and make our nation proud in this World Cup.”