Scotland Holds Off Nepal By 2 Runs In Kirtipur — Nepal Vs Scotland
Scotland beat Nepal by two runs in nepal vs scotland at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on May 12, 2026. The result kept Scotland second in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 standings and left Nepal seventh in a qualification race where the top four move directly to the World Cup Qualifiers.
Kirtipur Turned On Two Runs
The margin was tight from the start. Scotland entered with 34 points from 28 games, while Nepal came in on 18 points from 24 matches, and both teams knew another slip would cost ground in a cycle that also carries ODI status pressure for the lower finishers.
Scotland had already beaten Nepal once in Dallas and once in Dundee during this campaign, and the Dundee meeting showed how little separates these sides. Richie Berrington’s 102 and Michael Leask’s 96 off 62 balls carried Scotland to a two-run win there, with Nepal bowled out for 321 while chasing 324.
Rohit Paudel And Nepal's Home Record
Nepal brought a strong home record into Kirtipur. It had won four of its eight home matches in 2024, won ten of twelve home matches in Kathmandu during the 2019 to 2023 cycle, and beat Scotland in Kathmandu in 2023. It also arrived after wins over Oman and the UAE, a run that raised the cost of failing to close out another chase at home.
Rohit Paudel led Nepal’s side, which included Binod Bhandari, Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi. Scotland’s predicted XI featured George Munsey, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, Michael English, Berrington, Matthew Cross, Leask, Mark Watt, Brad Currie, Jack Jarvis and Oliver Davidson.
Azhar Ali In Scotland Preparations
Scotland also had Azhar Ali in its preparations as a consultant. He played 97 Tests and 53 ODIs for Pakistan, scored more than 7,000 Test runs, and said, “I was excited to work with a talented Scotland side.”
Scotland’s victory over Namibia on April 12, 2026, set up this trip with momentum, but the real value came in the table. Two runs preserved its place near the top, while Nepal stayed in the chasing pack with the pressure of every remaining League 2 result still sitting on the standings.
