Two major cricket tournament will kick off in Kathmandu back to back as Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) expanded the domestic league to incorporate four more teams.
Region No 7 Janakpur, Region No 8 Pokhara, Armed Police Force (APF) Club and Nepal Police Club (NPC) will participate in the Standard Chartered One-Day National Cricket to start on May 3, and Twenty20 National Cricket set to begin on May 14.
The tournaments will serve as the qualification route for national team to participate in the ACC Twenty20 Cup, to be held in Nepal in December 1 to 10. The ACC Twenty20 Cup is the qualifiers for the ICC World Twenty20 Cup.
“National tournaments are crucial as ACC Twenty 20 Cup is approaching,” CAN president Binaya Raj Pandey said at a press meet on April 29.
The tournaments will be played at TU Cricket Ground and IOE Cricket Ground.
Participating teams have divided into two groups with group winners competing in the final of the One-Day event. The final will be played on May 13.
Group A consists of Region No. 2 Birgunj, Region No 3 Kathmandu, Region No 6 Baitadi, Pokhara and NPC. Group B includes Region No. 1 Biratnagar, Region No 4 Bhairahawa, Region No 5 Nepalgunj, Janakpur and AFP.
For Twenty20, to be held from May 14 to 20, Group A includes Biratnagar, Kathmandu, Baitadi, Pokhara and AFP while Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Janakpur and NPC are included in Group B.
Schedule will be published here shortly.