Prajwal Oli

Mumbai

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has extended an invitation to cricketing giants India, Australia and England to play matches at the TU Stadium in Kirtipur, regarded as the home of Nepali cricket.

Nepal narrowly lost to England by four runs in their opening ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. However, their fighting spirit earned widespread praise after they scored 180 runs in pursuit of a 185-run target.

“A warm welcome to India, Australia and England in Nepal,” Rohit said during a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday when asked about his message to the leading cricketing nations. “Come and play with us. You will love playing in Kirtipur and experience the warm hospitality in Nepal.”

The skipper expressed hope that hosting major teams would elevate Nepal’s standing in world cricket.

“Playing against big teams like Australia and England shows the world that Nepal plays competitive cricket. This World Cup has demonstrated that we have grown stronger,” he said. “Matches like our one-run defeat against South Africa in the last World Cup and the four-run loss to England this time have brought us into the spotlight — especially the game against England.”