Nepal will play two matches each against both Papua New Guinea and the United Arab Emirates in the Triangular Series. Photo courtesy: CAN

Nepali team will vie against Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their opening match of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Triangular Series of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 in Sharjah on Wednesday.

Nepal, sixth in the seven-team contest, will play One-Day International (ODI) matches for the first time under Sandip Lamichhane's captaincy. Nepal will play two matches each against both PNG and the UAE in the series. They are scheduled to take on hosts UAE on Friday, UAE on Monday before playing against the PNG to wrap up the series next Tuesday.
The teams that finish in the top three will secure berths for the World Cup Qualifiers. Nepal have eight points from as many matches with four wins and draws each while PNG are at the bottom of the table without opening accounts. They have played 12 matches and lost all of them.
Oman lead the standings with 36 points from 28 matches while Scotland are behind them with 16 points from 12 matches. UAE are third on 16 points from 14 matches. Namibia and the USA are fourth and fifth respectively with 14 points each. But Namibia have played 14 and USA 16 matches.
The two sides have played two ODIs in the past and Nepal won both of them. Nepal had played a two-match series against PNG in September last year ahead of their World Cup League 2 Oman Series. While Nepal won the first match by two wickets, they registered a comprehensive 151-run win in the second match.
Nepal will come into the match high on confidence expecting to repeat a similar feat. PNG, meanwhile, suffered a seven-wicket defeat in their first match of the Series against hosts UAE on Tuesday.
Nepal’s coach Pubudu Dassanayake said that all the remaining matches were vital for the team’s entry into the next stage. “All upcoming games are must win games for us. We will take one at a time and try to do our basics right.”
Despite superiority in the past, Nepal must be wary of their unstable batting lineup, which was exposed in a recent Sri Lanka tour where they played four practice matches. Though Nepal won three matches, the main concern was an unpredictable batting performance by Nepal. Apart from opener Kushal Bhurtel and all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, most of the batters failed to live up to expectations in the tour.
The hot and humid conditions in the UAE will be the most challenging aspect for foreign players, especially Nepalis. Nepal is likely to come up with two fast bowlers with captain Lamichhane spearheading Nepal's bowling attack.
Kamal Singh Airee has cemented his spot in the starting lineup with an impressive performance in the World T20 Global Qualifiers in Oman. All-rounder Karan KC is likely to be the other pacer. Nepal have pinned high hopes on new openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh. Rohit Kumar Paudel, Gyanendra Malla and Airee and all-rounder Karan KC are likely to be among the other batters.