Men's, women's and youth teams set for year-long action; Nepal to host ICC events and League 2 matches
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 3
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a comprehensive calendar of domestic and international programmes and fixtures for 2026, outlining a busy year for men's, women's and youth cricket across formats.
The calendar features a full domestic season, major international commitments, ICC tournaments, bilateral series and capacity-building programmes for officials, coaches and umpires, reflecting CAN's push to strengthen Nepal's cricket ecosystem at all levels.
The domestic season begins in January with the Men's Prime Minister (PM) Cup at the district level, followed by provincial and national stages extending into April. Women's PM Cup competitions at district, provincial and national levels are scheduled between March and May.
Youth cricket remains a major focus, with the Wai Wai Men's U19 National Cricket Tournament spread across April and May, the CAN Youth Cup in May, and national championships for girls and school-level players scheduled later in the year. The Girls' U19 National Championship is set for September, while U16 girls' school championships and inter school/college long-format tournaments are planned for October.
The National T20 Championship will be held in June, while the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is scheduled for October–November, serving as the flagship domestic franchise tournament. Regional tournaments will take place in October, November and December.
Alongside competitions, CAN has also planned multiple development programmes, including Level 1 and Level 2 coaching courses, umpiring courses and a pitch curator course, spread across different months and provinces.
At the international level, Nepal's women's team will start the year by hosting the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers in January. February will feature the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India, while Nepal is also expected to host Women's Premier Cup events proposed for the same period.
Men's cricket will see Nepal involved in multiple ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 (CWC L2) series. Nepal will host League 2 matches against Oman and the UAE in March, followed by home fixtures against the USA and Scotland in May. Another League 2 series involving the Netherlands and Namibia is scheduled for July, while an additional League 2 event in Oman is planned for October.
CAN has also outlined several bilateral series for both men's and women's teams throughout the year, including home and away tours, along with women's international series and tri-series events. Youth internationals feature prominently, with U19 women's tours to Bhutan and Malaysia, and regional tournaments such as the ACC Men's U16 East Zone Cup and the ACC Men's U19 Premier Cup.
The ACC Premier Cup and Australia's Top End Series are also listed as proposed events for August, indicating Nepal's intent to expand its exposure in competitive international environments.
With domestic competitions, international fixtures and training programmes running almost year-round, CAN's 2026 calendar signals an ambitious attempt to balance performance, development and governance.
