NEP vs SCT Match Prediction & Analysis: Nepal takes on Scotland in League 2

Nepal will take on Scotland in the 107th Match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-2027) on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.

This promises to be a high-stakes clash between two strong contenders in the League 2 standings. Nepal will look to bounce back strongly on home soil with the support of a passionate crowd, while Scotland aim to continue their solid campaign and tighten their grip on a top position.

Hosts Nepal finds themselves in 2nd bottom place with 20 points, not far away from 5th placed Namibia with 22 points. The Rhinos have won 9 matches, had 2 matches end without a result and lost 15 games in 26 matches so far. Scotland on the other hand is at the top of the points table with 16 wins, 8 losses and a further 6 games ended in no result.

These two teams have played 9 competitive head-to-head matches in which Nepal have won 5 matches and Scotland have won 3 matches, but the Scottish side has the upper-hand in the last two contests.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nepal Preview

Nepal have had a solid run in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-27), particularly at home. While they may find themselves at 7th position with 20 points, they are just 2 points away from the 5th placed Namibia.

In their last three matches, they recorded convincing victories over Oman (by 81 runs on 5 May) and USA (by 9 wickets on 16 May), but suffered a DLS defeat to Scotland on 12 May. They remain a formidable side on home soil and will be eager to exact revenge against Scotland.

In the last game against the USA, bowlers, especially Dipendra Singh Airee’s with a 4-fer, bowled really well to dismiss USA for 195 runs. Nepal won the match by 9 wickets with Kushal Bhurtel scoring an unbeaten 120 off 118 balls.

Nepal’s batting line-up is in excellent form with tremendous depth. Despite his brilliance with the ball in the last game, Dipendra Singh Airee continues to be the star with the bat, amassing 675 runs in 18 innings. Aasif Sheikh has scored 616 runs in 23 innings, while Aarif Sheikh (541 runs) and captain Rohit Paudel (523 runs) provide stability.

Kushal Bhurtel after scoring a fabulous century in the last game, has taken his total runs tally to 492 runs. Bhim Sharki (423 runs) further strengthened the middle order, making Nepal dangerous across all phases.

The bowling remains Nepal’s biggest weapon, especially on spinning home tracks. Sandeep Lamichhane is in sublime form with 36 wickets in 20 innings. He is ably supported by Sompal Kami (28 wickets in 18 innings), Karan KC (24 wickets in 21 innings), and Gulshan Jha (19 wickets).

But the star of the show the last time Nepal took the ground vs USA was Dipendra Singh Airee with his 4/24 while Sompal Kami bagged 2/35.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (WK), Ishan Pandey, Rohit Paudel (C), Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi.

Scotland Preview

Scotland have been in excellent form in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023-2027). They currently sit at the top of the points table with 16 wins, 6 no results and 8 losses in 30 games.

In their last three matches, they secured impressive victories, beating Namibia by 7 wickets (12 April), Nepal via DLS method (12 May), and USA via DLS method (14 May). They currently look one of the most consistent sides in the competition.

Scotland boast a powerful and experienced batting line-up. Opener George Munsey has been outstanding with 1144 runs in 21 innings. The veteran batter has delivered in almost all games with his best performance of 191 off 150 balls vs Netherlands.

Rising star Brandon McMullen has scored 846 runs in 24 innings including three centuries and his best score of 151 off 140 balls vs USA.

Captain Richie Berrington (753 runs in 23 innings), and Charlie Tear (489 runs) add crucial contributions at the top and middle order. The side possesses good batting depth and the ability to post competitive totals on any surface.

Scotland’s bowling unit is well-balanced and highly effective. Bradley James Currie and Brandon McMullen lead the wicket-taking charts with 37 wickets each in 16 and 23 games respectively. Bradley Currie with all the English cricket under his belt, has been the most standout one and delivers in every game for his side.

Left-arm spinner Mark Watt (28 wickets in 25 innings) can look to take advantage of the spin-friendly conditions in Kathmandu while Jack Jarvis (22 wickets) with his cutters and slower ones can be really effective. This attack has the capability to trouble batters even in sub-continent conditions.

Scotland Predicted Playing XI:

George Munsey, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, Richie Berrington (C), Michael English, Michael Cross (WK), Mark Watt, Michael Leask, Bradley James Currie, Oliver Davidson, Safyan Sharif.

Weather Conditions

On Monday, May 18 in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, expect a warm and mostly sunny day with temperature reaching highs around 30°C and lows near 18-20°C. The skies will be partly cloudy with a low chance of isolated showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon.

NEP vs SCT Pitch Report

The pitch at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur is generally balanced but tends to assist bowlers as the game progresses. It offers decent pace and bounce early on, helping pacers, but slows down noticeably, giving spinners good grip and turn in the middle and death overs. The first innings average score at the venue is 219.

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