Nepal has climbed one position to 17th in the latest ICC Men’s T20 International Team Rankings, updated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on October 13.
Previously ranked 18th, Nepal moved up after maintaining an unbeaten run in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Qualifiers in Oman.
Nepal has won both of its Super Six matches so far — defeating the UAE by one run in the first game and Qatar by five runs in the second. The UAE currently holds the 16th spot in the rankings, while Qatar is ranked 29th.
Nepal is yet to face Samoa, ranked 64th, and Oman, ranked 20th, in the remaining Super Six fixtures.
While some reports have suggested that Nepal’s ranking boost is also linked to a 2–1 series win against the West Indies, there is no official ICC record of Nepal playing an international T20 series against a senior West Indies side. The ranking rise is primarily attributed to Nepal’s recent qualifying match performances.
With momentum building, Nepal is now closing in on a possible place in next year’s T20 World Cup.
