Nepal vs United States of America, ICCCWCLT, Today Match Prediction

NEP vs USA Match Prediction & Analysis

Nepal will face USA in the 106th Match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-27) on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.

This is a vital fixture for both teams in their quest for League 2 points and a potential shot at ODI status and World Cup qualification. Nepal will enjoy strong home advantage and passionate crowd support, while the USA will look to continue their impressive growth in international cricket.

There is work that needs to be done for the hosts Nepal cricket team. Their performance in the tournament hasn’t justified the quality they possess in their squad. Nepal is the 2nd worst performing team in the 8 teams competition with 8 wins, 15 losses and 2 matches ended without a result.

As for the United States of America (USA), they are one of the fastest rising teams in the sport, sitting 2nd currently with 18 wins and 7 losses in 25 games, only behind one of the favourites for the whole thing, Scotland and are ahead of the likes of Netherlands and Namibia.

It is a tight affair in the head-to-head rivalry. There have been 10 competitive matches played between Nepal and USA in which USA have won 6 games while Nepal have won 4 matches.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nepal Preview

Nepal have had a decent campaign in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-27) so far. While the expectations were much higher, the Rhinos have won 8 out of 25 games and lost 15 matches with 2 further games ending without a result. 

From their recent matches, they secured impressive victories over UAE (by DLS method on 1 May) and Oman (by 81 runs on 5 May), but suffered a DLS defeat to Scotland in their most recent game on 12 May. They currently sit at second bottom position on the points table and will be looking to capitalize on home conditions.

Nepal’s batting has been powered by consistent performers. Dipendra Singh Airee leads the run charts with an outstanding 675 runs in 18 innings including his best performance of 100 off 93 balls vs UAE. 

Aasif Sheikh (558 runs in 22 innings) and Aarif Sheikh (541 runs in 19 innings) provide solidity at the top and middle order. Captain Rohit Paudel (523 runs), Bhim Sharki (423 runs), and Gulshan Jha (374 runs) add significant depth and experience. Paudel’s best performance is 109 off 130 balls vs UAE and also scored 96 earlier vs USA.

The bowling unit remains Nepal’s biggest strength, especially on home pitches. Top quality spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane continues to dominate with 35 wickets in 19 innings. Sompal Kami (26 wickets in 17 innings), Karan KC (24 wickets in 21 innings), and Gulshan Jha (18 wickets) provide excellent variety and control. 

Gulshan has especially impressed with two 5-fers against Oman. Kushal Bhurtel bagged a wave of wickets early in the competition with two 4-fers in the first four games and a 3 wicket-haul vs Namibia. He has 13 wickets in 12 innings.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

Aasif Sheikh (WK), Binod Bhandari, Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (C), Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi.

United States of America Preview

The United States have enjoyed an impressive run in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-27). They are sitting at 2nd place behind Scotland and ahead of some big teams like Netherlands and Namibia. The USA’s performance is truly commendable with 18 wins and 7 losses in 25 games. The next few games serve as a great opportunity to even take the top spot.

They have secured several convincing victories in their recent matches, including wins over Canada (by 88 runs), Oman (by 9 runs), Nepal (twice), and UAE (twice). Their only recent setback came on 14 May against Scotland via the DLS method. The USA currently looks like one of the stronger sides in the competition.

The USA possesses a formidable and deep batting line-up. Milind Kumar has been exceptional with 1020 runs in 22 innings. The Delhi born batter has scored three centuries during the tournament so far, including his best performance of 155 off 110 balls vs UAE. 

Saiteja Reddy Mukkamalla (978 runs in 20 innings) and wicketkeeper-batter Monank Patel (854 runs in 24 innings) provide excellent deep runs. The 22-year-old Saiteja has scored centuries in both of his last two innings in the competition. 

Smit Patel (727 runs in 21 innings), Shayan Jahangir, and Andries Gous would play significant roles at the top of the batting-order before the heavy-hitters becomes active in the middle phase of a game.

The bowling department is well-balanced and highly effective. Veteran pacer Saurabh Netravalkar leads the way with 37 wickets in 20 innings. He has two 4-fers and a further five 3-fers in the competition with his best display of 4/33 vs Canada. 

He is well-supported by Nosthush Kenjige (31 wickets), Harmeet Singh (31 wickets), and Jasdeep Singh (31 wickets). Kenjige with his left-arm orthodox spin bowling has been very effective bowling at an economy rate of 4.21. His performance of 5/11 vs Oman is still one of the best bowling performances in the competition.

United States of America Predicted Playing XI:

Smit Patel (WK), Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Monank Patel (C), Milind Kumar, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shubham Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan.

Weather Conditions

The weather forecast on Saturday, May 16 in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, expects a warm but partly cloudy day. The temperature on this day would hover around 27-29°C and could hit lows near 16-18°C. There is a chance of isolated thunderstorms or showers, especially in the afternoon or evening. 

NEP vs USA Pitch Report

The pitch at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur is usually balanced to bowler-friendly in 50-over matches. It offers decent pace and bounce early on for pacers, but tends to slow down as the game progresses, allowing spinners to get good grip and turn in the middle and later overs. Scoring becomes difficult as the innings advances. The bigger boundaries make big hitting tough. The first innings average score here is 214. Scores anywhere between 240-280 would be a competitive total.

Toss: To Bat

The captain who wins the toss, would likely bat first. There Tribhuvan University ground in Kirtipur is known to offer help for the bowlers, especially as the game progresses. So win the toss and try to put somewhere between 250-300 on the board and later take advantage of the overcast conditions.