MUMBAI: Ramro hunu huncha, bhai? (Are you good, brother?) the Nepali words seemed to be heard across the Wankhede Stadium when Nepal played England at the T20 World Cup here on Sunday. Some of the stands were brimming with the country's supporters, sporting their jerseys. One of the acronyms embossed on the team shirt is CAN (short form for Cricket Association of Nepal) with the rhino head on its crest.
Nepal came within touching distance of creating history as they nearly upset one of the teams to beat in the competition, scoring 180/6 in reply to England's 184/7.
The way they were playing, Nepal literally indicated they 'CAN' and able to create an upset this edition. What started as an improbable run-chase turned into something surreal entering the last over — 10 runs off six balls in modern day T20 game is considered routine, a casual walk in the park. However, for the nascent cricketing nation, those 10 runs seemed like an eternity as they fell four runs short of the target of 185 set by one of the oldest cricketing nations. For some of the fans who had endured journeys of over 40 hours to reach the venue the day turned into a fulfilment of a lifetime. Those tedious hours spent on buses and train evaporated into hope, even though their team lost. Along with fond memories they would be carrying dollops of hope.
For a nation that has just one international ground to train, this is monumental. On multiple occasions, the team travelled to India to train and practice ahead of the big tournaments. Because of political interference, the world governing body (ICC) suspended them for three years sending all cricketing activities and cash flow to a screeching halt. They first made their debut in the T20 World Cup way back in 2014 but had to wait for a decade to qualify again for the tournament.
Even when they made it to the event two years ago, they struggled to arrange funds for training and exposure tours. It was when CAN drafted a proposal and sent it to the Nepal government seeking financial assistance. Fortunately, the government agreed and sanctioned NPR five crore. The trust shown by the government made the CAN to organise various trips for the team ahead of the marquee event. They also invited a West Indies A team to Nepal and went on a tour to Vapi, Gujarat, where the players had a triangular series with domestic teams from the state. After those preparations, the players and support staff flew to Florida.
It changed their fortunes as they managed to give a big scare to the Proteas. Yadav admits such outings highlight their progress. "I think we are improving in a good way. Matches like this are good for us and for the crowd as well. It shows our standard is going up. If we keep playing like this, the next games will also be good for us," he said.
The 25-year-old right-arm pacer said the match was also a learning curve. "For me personally, there is a lot of talk about my wide balls, so that’s something I need to work on. As a bowling unit, we need to focus more on death overs. We tend to concede more runs there, so that’s an area we must improve. But it’s part of the game and we accept it." He also said saving a few runs while bowling and taking more singles while batting can make a big difference while going forward. "Those small moments change games at this level," he affirmed.
Apart from foreign aid and occasional support from the government, the Nepal Premier League has also contributed to the growth of the sport in the country. It became a launching pad for up and coming cricketers and Yadav is one its beneficiaries. Offie Sher Malla, who made his international debut on Sunday, is another cricketer who rose to prominence after featuring in the league.
Be it the 2023 Asia Cup, the 2024 T20 World or the ongoing tournament, fans have been a pillar of strength for these cricketers. They have a huge number of travelling fans, who cover thousands of miles to cheer their favourite cricketers.
Sunday also witnessed an army of Nepal fans, sporting official dark blue jerseys with splashes of red. Around 17,000 spectators watched the thriller from the stands and a majority of them were supporting Nepal. Yadav expressed his gratitude towards them. "That’s the love of our crowd. Wherever we go, it feels like a home ground. I am very thankful to all the supporters. I want to say sorry for the result, but we will improve. The crowd is amazing — they love cricket and the atmosphere. We are really grateful to them."
They might have lost the opening clash but they have reached here riding on their resilience and perseverance. And these two qualities will stand them in a good stead giving them a hope for a better finish in the future contests. "This was only our first game and it was very close. We are not behind in the tournament, and we still have a good chance of qualifying for the next stage," Yadav hoped.
Even if they don't achieve those aims this time out, Nepal may well be well placed to achieve those objectives