Friendship cup

T20 World Cup: The Nepal senior men’s cricket team will play a T20 tri-series against Baroda and Gujarat in Vapi, dubbed as the ‘Friendship Cup’ from March 31 to April 7, said its governing body on Monday. The tri-series will kick off on March 31, with Nepal and Gujarat playing the opening match, followed by the Gujarat-Baroda clash on April 1. April 2 will see Nepal play against Baroda, followed by the Gujarat-Baroda clash on April 4. Nepal will face Baroda on April 5, followed by the tri-series ending with the final on April 7.

Nepal is currently ranked 16th in the ICC men’s T20I rankings and will be using the tri-series against Baroda and Gujarat to prepare for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in the United States of America and the West Indies from June 1-29.

Nepal has been placed alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and 2014 Men’s T20 World Cup winners Sri Lanka in Group D. Nepal will face the Netherlands in their first group match on June 5 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, USA. They will then take on Sri Lanka at the Broward County Stadium in Miami, Florida on June 11. Nepal’s next two group matches will be against South Africa and Bangladesh on June 14 and 16 respectively at Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent.