Toh yeh lo, cricket ki duniya mein ek aur “historic” series ka ailaan ho gaya hai! Nepal aur West Indies September 2025 mein Sharjah ke maidan par teen T20I matches khelne ja rahe hain. Haan, wahi West Indies, jo do baar ke T20 World Cup champion hain, aur wahi Nepal, jo abhi bhi apne aap ko international cricket ke stage par prove karne ki koshish mein hai. Sach kahun toh, yeh series sunne mein thodi si ajeeb lagti hai—ek taraf Caribbean ke power-hitters hain, aur doosri taraf Nepal ke “underdog” cricketers, jo aksar chhote maidan aur bheed ke saamne apna jadoo dikhate hain. Lekin kya yeh series sach mein yaadgar banegi, ya phir cricket ke itihas ke pages mein kahin kho jayegi?
Cricket West Indies (CWI) aur Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) ke is collaboration ko dekhkar thodi si hasi aati hai. West Indies, jinke paas Shai Hope, Rovman Powell, aur Andre Russell jaise bade naam hain, woh ek aisi team ke khilaaf khelne ja rahe hain jo abhi bhi associate nation ke tag ke saath lad rahi hai. Yeh thodi si aisi baat hai jaise koi Bollywood ka superstar chhote se theater ke play mein perform karne chala jaye. Lekin thodi der ke liye is mazak ko bhool jao, kyunki Nepal ke liye yeh mauka asal mein bada hai. September 27, 28, aur 30 ko hone wale yeh matches Nepal ke liye ek golden chance hain, kyunki iske turant baad October mein ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers shuru hone wale hain. Yeh series unke liye ek perfect warm-up hai, jahan woh apne skills ko test kar sakte hain ek aisi team ke khilaaf jo T20 format mein hamesha se dangerous rahi hai.
Nepal ki team, Rohit Paudel ke leadership mein, pichhle kuch saalon mein kaafi improve hui hai. Yaad hai jab 2024 T20 World Cup mein Nepal ne South Africa ke khilaaf almost ek bada upset kiya tha? Woh match, jahan Nepal ke bowlers ne Proteas ke top-order ko hila diya tha, yeh dikhata hai ki yeh team chhoti nahi hai. Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, aur Kushal Bhurtel jaise players ne dikhaya hai ki Nepal ke paas talent ki kami nahi hai. Airee toh ek aisa all-rounder hai jo apne dam par match palat sakta hai—2024 mein Netherlands ke khilaaf uska explosive batting aur clever bowling yaad hai? Nepal ke liye yeh series sirf ek game nahi, balki duniya ko yeh dikhane ka mauka hai ki woh bade teams ke saath compete kar sakte hain.
Ab West Indies ki baat karte hain. Yeh wahi team hai jo kabhi T20 cricket ka badshah hui karti thi. 2012 aur 2016 ke T20 World Cup jeetne wali team ke paas Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, aur Kieron Pollard jaise legends the. Lekin aaj kal unka performance thoda up-down raha hai. Pichhle kuch samay se West Indies T20 mein struggle kar rahi hai—June 2025 mein England ke khilaaf 3-0 se hui haar yaad hai? Us series mein Ben Duckett aur Tom Banton ne unke bowlers ki dhajjiyan udayi thi. Phir bhi, West Indies ke paas firepower ki kami nahi hai. Rovman Powell ke aggressive batting aur Alzarri Joseph ki fiery pace ab bhi unhe ek dangerous team banati hai. Lekin yeh bhi sach hai ki Nepal ke khilaaf yeh series unke liye shayad ek “practice match” se zyada nahi hogi, kyunki October mein unka India tour bhi shuru ho raha hai.
Sharjah ka maidan is series ke liye ek neutral venue hai, aur yeh apne aap mein ek interesting choice hai. Sharjah Cricket Stadium ka itihas hai—yahan Sachin Tendulkar ne apne iconic “Desert Storm” innings khele the 1998 mein, aur yahan ke chhote boundaries T20 ke liye perfect hain. Nepal ke batsmen, jo apne aggressive approach ke liye jaane jate hain, shayad yahan kaafi run banaye. Yaad hai jab Nepal ne 2024 mein Scotland ke khilaaf 324 runs ka target chase karne ki koshish ki thi aur sirf thodi si kami reh gayi thi? Agar woh apna wohi jazba yahan dikhaye, toh West Indies ke bowlers ke liye yeh ek lambi series ho sakti hai.
Cricket ke itihas mein aisi series aksar chhote teams ke liye ek nayi shuruaat hoti hain. Socho, jab Ireland ne 2007 World Cup mein Pakistan ko hara diya tha, ya phir jab Netherlands ne 2009 T20 World Cup mein England ko patak diya tha—yeh woh pal the jinhone associate nations ko duniya ke saamne ek nayi pehchan di. Nepal ke liye bhi yeh series aisa hi ek mauka ho sakta hai. Cricket West Indies ke CEO Chris Dehring ne bhi kaha hai ki yeh series sirf matches nahi, balki cricket ko globalize karne ka ek kadam hai. Nepal ke paas yeh mauka hai ki woh West Indies jaise bade team ke khilaaf apna talent dikha sake aur shayad ek ya do matches mein unhe hara bhi de.
Lekin yahan thodi si reality check bhi zaroori hai. West Indies, chahe kitna bhi struggle kyun na kar rahe hon, ab bhi ek full-member nation hai. Unke paas experience hai, power hai, aur shayad Nepal ke muqable zyada resources bhi. Nepal ke liye yeh series ek sapne jaisa mauka hai, lekin sachchai yeh bhi hai ki West Indies shayad apne full-strength squad ke saath na khele, kyunki unka focus India tour par bhi hoga. Agar aisa hua, toh kya yeh series sach mein “historic” rahegi, ya phir sirf ek aur exhibition match ban kar reh jayega? Aur agar Nepal haar bhi jati hai, toh kya yeh unke liye ek setback hoga, ya phir ek learning curve jo unhe T20 World Cup Qualifiers ke liye tayyar karegi?
Is series ka asli matlab shayad tab samajh aayega jab matches khatam honge. Nepal ke fans, jo apne passion ke liye jaane jate hain, zaroor Sharjah ke stands ko bhar denge. Yaad hai jab 2024 mein Nepal ke home ground par West Indies A ke khilaaf 20,000 se zyada fans ne Rohit Paudel ke century ko cheer kiya tha? Woh energy agar Sharjah mein bhi dikhi, toh yeh series yaadgar ban sakti hai. Lekin cricket ki duniya mein, jahan bade teams ka dabdaba hai, Nepal jaise chhote teams ko apni jagah banane ke liye har mauka ek jung hai. Yeh series bhi shayad wahi jung ka ek hissa hogi—aur shayad, ek din, jab hum is pal ko peeche mudkar dekhen, toh yeh sirf ek “historic” series nahi, balki Nepal ke cricket ke safar ka ek turning point rahega. Ya phir, shayad yeh sirf ek aur bhula diya jane wala chapter ban kar reh jayega. Waqt hi batayega.
