Cricket is the second most popular sport in Nepal after football. It is played by many people throughout the country, especially in the Terai region due to its close proximity to India. The biggest cricketing achievement of the national cricket team was when the team reached the qualification tournament of 2014 ICC World T20 held in Bangladesh. Nepal's playing season runs from September to November and starts again in March before finishing in May. The National Cricket Academy, NCA, was formally opened in January 2013 by the Cricket Association of Nepal to guide emerging players and to provide continuous training facilities to the men's national team, under-19 team and the women's national team. As of December 2012, there were 429 senior cricket clubs and 227 junior cricket clubs in Nepal.
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Beginnings
In 1920s Cricket was introduced to Nepal for the first time by Lt.-Gen.Madan Shumsher JBR youngest son of Rana Prime Minister Maharaja Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana. But at the time cricket was considered a "gentleman's game" so was limited to the ruling Rana family members and some elites of Nepal. Though the game was kept within themselves and other members of the elite, the Cricket Association of Nepal was formed in 1946 to promote cricket amongst the aristocracy.
After the introduction of democracy through the Revolution of 1951, cricket began to spread to the rest of the population. In 1961, in an effort to promote cricket to the whole of Nepal, the Cricket Association of Nepal became part of the National Sports Council. Nevertheless, the National games tended to be limited to Kathmandu until the 1980s.
ICC and ACC Membership
Improvements to the communication and transport infrastructure in Nepal allowed the game to expand outside Kathmandu in the 1980s, and Nepal became an Affiliate Member of the ICC in 1988. A major development programme began in the early 1990s, with regional and district tournaments established and cricket being promoted in the schools. Nepal became an Associate Member of the ACC in 1990 and became a full member in 1994.
Interest in cricket increased quickly in the 1990s, and demand to play was such that the number of teams in tournaments had to be restricted until more facilities could be built. Nepal became an Associate Member of the ICC in 1996, which was the year the national side played for the first time, in the ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur. Nepal finished fourth out of six teams in their first round group in this competition, beating Brunei and Japan.
Governing Body
The Cricket Association of Nepal is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Nepal. It was formed in 1946.
Competitions
Cricket Grounds
There are 65 grounds in Nepal with 17 turf wickets. International matches can be played only at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground. A new international standard ground is under construction in Mulpani, Kathmandu, and another is slated to be built in Pokhara with some assistance from the Asian Cricket Council.
The following are the main cricket stadiums in Nepal:
Men's National Team
The Nepal National Cricket Team represents Nepal in international cricket matches.
They have been participating in international matches since 2013, including every ACC Trophy tournament, the 2001 ICC Trophy and two ICC Intercontinental Cups.
Nepal also has an under-19 cricket team.
Women's National Team
The Nepal National Women's Cricket Team represents Nepal in international women's cricket matches. They made their international debut in the ACC Women's Tournament in Malaysia in July 2007.
Domestic Cricket
Domestic cricket is divided into 9 regions (Kathmandu, Janakpur, Birgunj, Baitadi, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Pokhara and Mahendranagar along with the APF and the Nepal Army). The men's and women's teams from these regions compete in One Day and Twenty20 matches in various age groups.
Similarly, from 2014 onwards a franchise based event comprising Twenty20, One Day and Two Day tournaments was initiated.