Haan, Nepal… Wahi team jo abhi bhi associate nation hai aur international cricket mein apna naam banane ki koshish kar rahi hai. Yeh series, jo September 27, 28, aur 30, 2025 ko Sharjah Cricket Ground mein hogi, ek tarah se David aur Goliath ka muqabla lagta hai. West Indies ke bade bade power-hitters aur Nepal ke chhote se desh ke chhote se khiladiyon ka yeh takkar dekhne mein thodi si hasi bhi aati hai. I mean, ek taraf Chris Gayle jaisi legacy wali team, aur doosri taraf Nepal, jinka naam shayad hi kisi ne T20 World Cup ke baahar suna ho.
Lekin thodi der ruko. Yeh series sirf ek mis-match nahi hai. Nepal ke liye yeh ek bada mauka hai. Socho, jab 2024 mein Nepal ne apna pehla T20 World Cup khela, toh unhone dikhaya ki woh Oman ke saath Asia Qualifiers se nikal kar bade stage par bhi dum dikha sakte hain. Unki team mein Rohit Paudel jaise kaptaan hain, jo 2024 ke West Indies A ke khilaaf series mein apni leadership aur batting se sabko impress kar chuke hain. Woh series, jo Kirtipur ke Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground mein kheli gayi thi, Nepal ke liye ek chhota sa sapna tha. West Indies A ne bhi wahan apne T20 specialists jaise Johnson Charles aur Roston Chase ko utara tha, lekin Nepal ne unhe kadi takkar di. Ek match mein toh Nepal ke bowlers ne West Indies A ke batsmen ko kaafi pareshan kiya, bhale hi Charles ne 7 sixes maar kar record banaya ho.
Ab yeh series jo Sharjah mein hone wali hai, Nepal ke liye ek aur mauka hai apne aap ko prove karne ka. Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is series ko host kar rahi hai, aur yeh unke liye 2026 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers ki taiyaari ka ek bada step hai. West Indies ke CEO Chris Dehring ne bhi kaha hai ki yeh series sirf matches nahi, balki cricket ke global footprint ko badhane ka celebration hai. Nepal ke khiladiyon ke liye yeh ek chance hai ki woh apne skills dikha sakein, jaise ki 2014 T20 World Cup mein Bangladesh ke khilaaf unhone upset karke dikhaya tha. Tab Nepal ne sabko hairaan kar diya tha jab unhone Hong Kong aur Afghanistan jaise teams ko haraaya tha. Aisa hi kuchh Sharjah mein bhi ho sakta hai, kyunki Nepal ke paas ab experience bhi hai aur passion bhi.
West Indies ke liye yeh series shayad ek warm-up hi hai, kyunki woh October mein India ke khilaaf do Test matches khelne ja rahe hain. Unke paas players hain jo T20 ke badshah maane jaate hain – jaise Andre Russell ya Nicholas Pooran, jo IPL mein apni dhoom machate hain. Lekin yahin par Nepal ke liye ek chhupa hua mauka hai. West Indies shayad is series ko halke mein le, aur Nepal ke young guns, jaise Dipendra Singh Airee ya Sompal Kami, unhe surprise kar sakte hain. Yaad hai na, jab 2018 mein Asia Cup Qualifier mein Nepal ne UAE ko hara kar sabko chup kara diya tha? Aisa hi kuchh in West Indies ke khilaaf bhi ho sakta hai.
Lekin phir bhi, dil mein ek chhoti si chubhan hai. Nepal kitna bhi josh dikhaaye, West Indies ka experience aur firepower unhe hamesha ek kadam aage rakhta hai. Sharjah ke chhote ground par jab West Indies ke batsmen apne sixes ki baarish shuru karenge, toh Nepal ke bowlers ke liye woh ek nightmare ban sakta hai. Nepal ke fans ko ummeed toh hai, lekin cricket ka yeh khel bada nirdai hai. Ek chhoti si galti, aur Nepal ka sapna shayad hi pura ho. Phir bhi, yeh series dekhne layak hogi, kyunki cricket mein kabhi kabhi chhoti teams bhi bade dikhaye deti hain. Bas yeh ummeed hai ki Nepal apne dum par kuchh yaadgaar pal banaye, warna yeh series bhi West Indies ke liye ek aur practice session hi ban kar reh jayegi.
