Offspinner Sher Malla has received his first national call-up after being named in Nepal’s squad for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Nepal have also included allrounder Basir Ahamad, while Kushal Malla, who featured in the T20 World Cup Qualifier in October last year, has been left out.
Top-order batter Rohit Paudel will captain Nepal in their second consecutive T20 World Cup appearance, with experienced allrounder Dipendra Singh Airee appointed as vice-captain.
Sher’s selection comes on the back of an outstanding Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 campaign, where he finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 6.50. He played a pivotal role in Lumbini Lions’ title-winning run and was named Emerging Player of the Tournament.
The 15-member squad features a balanced combination of top-order batting depth and versatile allrounders. The spin attack will be led by Sandeep Lamicchane, supported by Lalit Rajbanshi, Sher Malla, and Airee. The pace unit will be spearheaded by Karan KC, alongside Nandan Yadav, Sompal Kami, and allrounder Gulsan Jha.
At 23, Paudel will anchor the batting lineup, with Kushal Bhurtel providing aggression at the top and Aasif Sheikh adding stability in the middle order. Airee and Jha are expected to play key finishing roles with the bat.
Nepal competed in four matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup, narrowly losing close contests against South Africa and Bangladesh despite failing to register a win. They will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against England on February 8 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, which will host all of their group-stage matches.
