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Nepal face Namibia in the opening match of the Netherlands leg of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, with both sides fighting to stay in touch with the top four teams who qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup Qualifier. Nepal arrive on the back of five straight wins, while Namibia have won three of their last five. In this preview you will find the match details, form, pitch report and two NEP vs NAM fantasy team options, one safe and one for grand leagues.
For Indian viewers, the match starts at 2.30 PM IST, an 11.00 AM start in Utrecht.
NEP vs NAM Match Details
Match: Nepal vs Namibia, 116th Match, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 2023-27
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Time: 2.30 PM IST | 11.00 AM local, Netherlands
Venue: Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Kampong Cricket Club, Utrecht
Streaming: FanCode
What’s At Stake
This is the first match of a six game tri-series between Nepal, Namibia and hosts Netherlands, the twentieth round of the 2024-26 CWC League 2 cycle. The top four of the eight competing nations qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup Qualifier, while the bottom four go into a playoff against teams from the Challenger League. Nepal currently sit fifth in the table, seven points behind fourth placed Oman, with the USA already having secured their spot at the top. Namibia have work to do of their own to stay in touch with the qualification places. Both sides know that dropping points here makes an already difficult qualification path harder.
Nepal: Red Hot Form Heading In
Nepal arrive at this tri-series unbeaten in their last five matches, including two wins over Jersey and back to back wins over the USA and Scotland in their previous CWC League 2 outings, where Kushal Bhurtel’s century and Rohit Paudel’s captaincy have both stood out. Nepal have been the form side of League 2 in recent months and will fancy their chances of closing the gap on the top four if they can carry that form into the Netherlands leg.
Namibia: Mixed Recent Form
Namibia go into this tri-series on the back of a mixed run, having lost their last two completed matches against a touring Vidarbha Cricket Association side after winning three in a row before that. Note: Namibia’s squad and captain for this specific series had not been separately confirmed at the time of writing. Namibia have alternated the captaincy between Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit across different series earlier this year, so confirm the toss team sheet before finalising your fantasy team.
NEP vs NAM Head To Head
Namibia lead the head to head 5 wins to 4 across the last ten meetings between the two sides, though the results have gone back and forth, with Nepal winning both meetings in the 2019-23 League 2 cycle and Namibia winning both of the two meetings so far in the current cycle.
| Result | Match |
|---|---|
| Namibia won | 4th ODI, CWC League 2 2023-27 |
| Namibia won | 1st ODI, CWC League 2 2023-27 |
| Nepal won | 4th ODI, WC League 2 2019-23 |
| Nepal won | 1st ODI, WC League 2 2019-23 |
| Namibia won | 5th ODI, WC League 2 2019-23 |
Utrecht Pitch Report: Bowling First Favoured
Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd has hosted 6 CWC League 2 matches, with teams bowling first winning two thirds of the time. The average first innings score of 210 suggests batting can be tricky against the new ball, though the ground has also produced a 380 run total in the past, showing it can play well once set.
Venue stats:
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 6 |
| Won batting first | 33% |
| Won bowling first | 67% |
| Average 1st innings score | 210 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 186 |
| Highest total | 380/9 by Scotland vs Netherlands |
| Lowest total | 157 all out by Netherlands vs Ireland |
| Highest chased | 205/5 by Netherlands vs UAE |
| Lowest defended | 195 all out by Netherlands vs Ireland |
Recent matches at the venue:
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| 67th ODI, CWC League 2 2023-27: Netherlands vs Scotland | Scotland won |
| 66th ODI, CWC League 2 2023-27: Scotland vs UAE | Scotland won |
| 65th ODI, CWC League 2 2023-27: Netherlands vs UAE | Netherlands won |
NEP vs NAM Probable Playing XIs
Nepal (probable): Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi
Namibia (probable): With the squad for this series not separately confirmed, Namibia’s likely XI is expected to be built around the core group featured through 2026, including Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Zane Green (wk), Bernard Scholtz and Ruben Trumpelmann. Confirm the actual XI at the toss before setting your fantasy team.
Key Player Battles
Kushal Bhurtel vs Namibia’s new ball attack: Bhurtel has been Nepal’s standout batter in recent matches. How Namibia’s opening bowlers, likely led by Ruben Trumpelmann or Jan Frylinck, handle him early could set the tone for the innings.
Sandeep Lamichhane vs Namibia’s middle order: Lamichhane remains one of the most dangerous leg-spinners in associate cricket, and his battle with Namibia’s middle order in the 20 to 40 over period is likely to be central to the result.
Rohit Paudel vs Gerhard Erasmus or JJ Smit: Whichever Namibia captain takes the field, this is a contest between two sides’ most experienced leaders, both under pressure to keep their qualification hopes alive.
NEP vs NAM Fantasy Team (Small Leagues)
Wicketkeeper: Aasif Sheikh
Batters: Rohit Paudel (C), Kushal Bhurtel (VC), Gerhard Erasmus
All Rounders: Dipendra Singh Airee, JJ Smit
Bowlers: Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jan Frylinck
Paudel is captain on the back of Nepal’s five match winning streak, and Bhurtel takes the vice-captaincy after his recent form with the bat. Lamichhane is the standout bowling pick given his wicket taking record in associate cricket.
NEP vs NAM Fantasy Team (Grand Leagues)
For grand leagues, this second NEP vs NAM fantasy team brings in Ishan Pandey and Bernard Scholtz as lower-owned alternatives to the headline names.
Wicketkeeper: Zane Green — differential
Batters: Kushal Bhurtel (C), Ishan Pandey (VC) — differential, Aarif Sheikh
All Rounders: Dipendra Singh Airee, Jan Frylinck
Bowlers: Sandeep Lamichhane, Bernard Scholtz — differential, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC
Ishan Pandey offers a point of difference in Nepal’s middle order without the ownership Paudel is likely to draw. Bernard Scholtz has been a consistent wicket taker for Namibia in League 2 and is a solid differential in the bowling attack.
Also Read: WI vs NZ Fantasy Team, 4th ODI: Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report And Prediction
NEP vs NAM Match Prediction
Nepal go into this match with clearly the better recent form, unbeaten in five and playing with real confidence after wins over the USA and Scotland. Namibia have shown they can be competitive with three wins in five, but their last two results have gone against them and there is some uncertainty over their squad and captaincy for this leg. Nepal get the edge here on current form, though Namibia’s experienced core, whoever leads them, makes this far from a foregone conclusion given how tight the head to head has been in this cycle.
FAQs
Q. When is the NEP vs NAM match?
A. Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht, Netherlands, starting at 11.00 AM local time, which is 2.30 PM IST.
Q. Where can I watch NEP vs NAM live?
A. The match will stream live on FanCode.
Q. Who is Nepal’s captain?
A. Rohit Paudel captains Nepal.
Q. Who is Namibia’s captain?
A. Namibia have alternated the captaincy between Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit through 2026. The confirmed captain for this specific series was not available at the time of writing.
Q. What is at stake in this match?
A. Both teams are competing for one of the top four places in the 2024-26 CWC League 2 table, which qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup Qualifier.