Nepal Women’s Cricket Team will take on Bahrain Women on Saturday, May 10, in their second match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Region Qualifier. While it’s Nepal’s second game of the tournament, it will be Bahrain’s opening match.
First Match Washed Out Due to Rain
Nepal was scheduled to play its first match on May 9 against Hong Kong. However, heavy rain on May 8 left the field completely waterlogged and unplayable. As a result, not a single ball was bowled and the match was officially abandoned. Both Nepal and Hong Kong were awarded 1 point each.
Match Venue and Timing
The match between Nepal Women and Bahrain Women will be played at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok. It is scheduled to begin at 7:45 AM Nepali Time.
Head-to-Head Record: Nepal Women vs Bahrain Women
Nepal and Bahrain Women have faced each other twice in official matches — once in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier and once in the ACC Women’s T20 Championship. Nepal has won both encounters convincingly.
First Encounter – ACC Women’s T20 Championship 2022
Their first meeting took place on June 20, 2022, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nepal defeated Bahrain by 8 wickets in that game. Bahrain lost 6 wickets for just 14 runs, while Nepal comfortably chased the target with a score of 15/2.
Second Encounter – ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2023
Their second clash came on September 1, 2023, again in Kuala Lumpur. Nepal once again dominated, bowling Bahrain out for just 31 runs and chasing it down without losing a wicket, finishing at 32/0 to win by 10 wickets.
Pitch Report
The Terdthai Cricket Ground is generally known to be batting-friendly. However, in the recent game between Kuwait and Thailand in this same tournament, the pitch offered very little bounce and pace. Thailand won the toss and chose to bowl first, and Kuwait’s batters really struggled. The pitch was slow and flat, making stroke-play difficult. Kuwait ended up losing 8 wickets for just 56 runs, with a run rate of only 2.8 clearly favoring bowlers.
Even Thailand’s batters had to play cautiously while chasing, although the small target made things easier for them. In general, the average T20 score on this ground is between 120–135, which is considered competitive in women’s cricket.
On such pitches, batters benefit from practicing against slow bounce in the nets. Drills focused on spin, swing, and adjusting to low bounce can be helpful. For bowlers, working on consistent line and length along with variation in pace and swing will be key to success.
Weather Forecast
The weather in Bangkok isn’t very promising for morning cricket. According to the forecast, there’s a high chance of rain in the morning, followed by overcast skies and possibly thunderstorms later in the day. The overall probability of rainfall is around 98%, which could affect match proceedings.
Nepal Women’s Squad:
Bindu Rawal, Rajmati Airee, Samjhana Khadka, Indu Barma, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, Puja Mahato, Rubina Chhetry, Roma Thapa, Rubie Poddar, Ishwori Bista, Manisha Upadhyay, Riya Sharma, Sabnam Rai
Bahrain Women’s Squad:
Abira Waris, Poorvaja Jagadisha, Rasika Rodrigo, Saduni Uthpala, Deepika Rasangika, Pavitra Shetty, Tharanga Gajanayake, Jayanab Fazil, Ashwini Govinda, Sana Butt, Sadamali Arachchige, Sai Parkhi, Sara Vivek, Shruti Yadav
Nepal’s Probable Playing XI:
Samjhana Khadka, Rubie Poddar, Puja Mahato, Indu Barma, Rubina Chhetry, Roma Thapa, Kabita Joshi, Bindu Rawal, Riya Sharma, Sabnam Rai, Ishwori Bista
Bahrain’s Probable Playing XI:
Deepika Rasangika, Tharanga Gajanayake, Pavitra Shetty, Rasika Rodrigo, Abira Waris, Saduni Uthpala, Sana Butt, Ashwini Govinda, Sadamali Arachchige, Sai Parkhi, Shruti Yadav
Toss and Match Prediction
Both teams are likely to choose bowling first if they win the toss, as chasing has looked easier on this pitch. Based on previous head-to-head records and overall squad strength, Nepal appears to be the stronger side. My prediction: Nepal will win the toss and the match.
