CWC Qualifier Play-off 2026: Nepal Schedule, Fixtures, Teams

When and where? December 4 to 21, 2026, in Nepal, at two grounds: the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, and the Mulpani Cricket Ground, Kathmandu.

Which teams are playing? Eight: Nepal, Namibia, Canada and the UAE from Cricket World Cup League 2, and Italy, Uganda, Jersey and Kuwait, the top two teams from each group of the Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

How does it work? Every team plays every other team once, so each team plays seven matches and there are 28 in total. The top four in the table qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

What is at stake? A place at the Qualifier, the last stage on the road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. For the four teams that miss out, the 2027 World Cup dream is over.

What time do the games start? Start times have not been announced yet. We will add them in Nepal Time, IST, PKT, UK and ET as soon as they are confirmed.

The Story: A Last Chance on Home Soil for Nepal

The road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup is a long one for the teams outside cricket's top tier. The best-placed sides in Cricket World Cup League 2 went straight through to the Qualifier, while the rest are fighting for the final four places here.

For readers new to cricket: these are 50-over matches, also known as One Day cricket, where each team bats for up to 50 overs (an over is six legal deliveries). Games last most of a day.

Storylines to Watch

Nepal at home. Nepal play all seven games in front of their own fans, opening against Jersey at Kirtipur on December 4. Nepal's passionate home fans could be a big advantage.

A possible decider on the final day. Nepal's last match is against Namibia at Mulpani on December 21, the final game of the tournament. If both teams are in the race for a top-four place, it could decide everything.

Namibia must qualify for their own World Cup. Namibia are one of the co-hosts of the 2027 World Cup, but they still need to come through this event to keep their hopes of playing in it alive. They arrive in form after beating Ireland 3-2 in an ODI series in October.

Canada and the UAE. Both are experienced at this level, and their head-to-head on December 15 at Kirtipur could be one of the key games in the race for the top four.

The Challenge League sides. Italy, Uganda, Jersey and Kuwait earned their places by finishing in the top two of their Challenge League groups. For them, every game against the League 2 teams is a chance to cause an upset.

Full Schedule

📥 Download the full schedule as a PDF (one page)

Start times to be confirmed. There are no matches on December 8, 11, 16 and 19.

Team-by-Team Fixtures

The Teams

Squads will be added once they are announced. See our Players to Watch below.

Players to Watch

Squads have not been announced yet, so these players are not yet confirmed for Nepal.

Nepal

• Rohit Paudel: Made 80 off 81 in Nepal's 10-run League 2 win over Oman, and has been in top form leading the unbeaten Lumbini Lions in the NPL.
• Dipendra Singh Airee: Hit four sixes in 69 off 62 against Oman, adding 139 with Paudel.
• Sandeep Lamichhane: The leg-spinner led Nepal in that win over Oman.

Namibia

• Gerhard Erasmus: The captain was Player of the Series in October's 3-2 ODI win over Ireland, with 263 runs and 4 wickets, including 156 not out.
• Michael van Lingen: Hit 124 against the USA in League 2 in Dallas.
• JJ Smit: Took 4 for 20 to win the series decider against Ireland.
• Jan Frylinck: Made 126 in the 3rd ODI against Ireland.

Canada

• Nicholas Kirton: Canada's captain, who hit five sixes in 84 off 57 against Zimbabwe A.
• Yuvraj Samra: An opener who made 80 in the same match.
• Jatinderpal Matharu: Took 4 wickets against Zimbabwe A.

UAE

• Junaid Siddique: Took 6 for 49, his best ODI figures, against Oman in League 2 in Nepal this year, so he knows these conditions.
• Muhammad Waseem: The big-hitting opener, who led the UAE in their League 2 series in Nepal.
• Aryansh Sharma: An opener who made 50 in that win over Oman.

Italy

• Harry Manenti: Italy's captain, who led them to first place in Challenge League Group B.
• Akash Waduwalage: Took 5 for 21 against Tanzania as Italy sealed top spot.
• AJ and Justin Mosca: The opening brothers added 121 in the same match, with AJ making 75 and Justin 52.

Uganda

• Riazat Ali Shah: Uganda's experienced all-rounder, who captained the Cricket Cranes in the Challenge League.
• Uganda finished second in Group B, behind Italy, and are coached by Kenya great Steve Tikolo.

Jersey

• Josh Lawrenson: Won three Player of the Match awards at the 2025 Challenge League event in Jersey, including 4 for 25 against Qatar.
• Harrison Carlyon and Asa Tribe: Both made fifties in that win over Qatar.
• Nick Greenwood: An experienced all-rounder, who took 2 for 29 in the same game.

Kuwait

• Meet Bhavsar: The opener hit a century against Bermuda in the 2024 Challenge League Play-off, as Kuwait earned their place in the Challenge League.
• Sayed Monib: A fast bowler who took 5 wickets in that same match.

What's Next

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the CWC Qualifier Play-off 2026 start?

• Friday, December 4, 2026, with Nepal vs Jersey at Kirtipur and Canada vs Namibia at Mulpani.

When does it end?

• Monday, December 21, 2026, with Uganda vs UAE at Kirtipur and Nepal vs Namibia at Mulpani.

How many teams qualify?

• Four. The top four teams in the table go through to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

How many matches are there?

• 28. Each of the eight teams plays the other seven once.

When does Nepal play?

• December 4 (Jersey), 6 (Canada), 10 (Kuwait), 12 (Italy), 14 (Uganda), 18 (UAE) and 21 (Namibia).

Where are the matches being played?

• At the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Kathmandu.

Can I download the schedule?

• Yes. The one-page PDF is linked at the top of the schedule section.

Related Guides and Series Coverage

📋 Oman vs Nepal, CWC League Two 2026: Nepal Win by 10 Runs

📋 USA Win the CWC League Two 2023-27 Title

📋 Namibia vs Ireland 5th ODI 2026: Smit's 4 for 20 Wins Namibia the Series 3-2

📋 Nepal Premier League 2026 Schedule: Full NPL Season 3 Fixtures, Teams and Match Times