Kathmandu: Sharad Vesawkar, one of Nepal’s most influential cricketers and a foundational figure in the country’s rise to the international stage, is set to retire from international game following the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, scheduled to take place from November 7 to 9.

The veteran middle-order batter will captain Nepal’s squad in the tournament, marking his final appearance in national colors in the six-over format. According to the squad unveiled by Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the 7-member squad includes Sundeep Jora, Md Adil Alam, Lokesh Bam, Basir Ahmed, Rashid Khan, and Rupesh Kumar Singh.

The 37-year-old Vesawkar made his national debut in the 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup and went on to become a key player in some of Nepal’s most historic cricketing moments. He was a vital member of the squad that competed in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh—Nepal’s first appearance in a global ICC event.

He also featured in Nepal’s maiden ODI match against the Netherlands in August 2018, and in their first official T20I, played against Hong Kong during the 2014 World T20.

Vesawkar’s most iconic moment came during the 2013 ICC World T20 Qualifier in the UAE, when he scored 13 runs in the final over against Hong Kong, sealing a dramatic last-ball victory. That performance not only etched his name in Nepali cricket folklore but also secured Nepal’s historic qualification for the 2014 World T20, announcing their arrival on the global stage.

Over his career, Vesawkar played 4 ODIs scoring 66 runs and featured in 20 T20 Internationals amassing 325 runs. He last appeared in a T20I in February 2022, and in an ODI in September 2021.