Nepal vs UAE Cricket: Head-to-Head Rivalry Overview

The Nepal vs UAE cricket rivalry is one of the most meaningful contests in Asian Associate cricket. Both nations sit just outside the Test-playing elite, and for much of the past decade beating one another has been the difference between qualifying for a World Cup or an Asia Cup and going home. This evergreen overview walks through the history of the rivalry, the verified head-to-head record, and the standout matches that have defined it, with dates and sources so you can check every figure.

If you are new to Nepali cricket, it helps to know how much the sport means here. In a country better known abroad for the Himalayas and trekking, cricket has quietly become a national obsession, and the United Arab Emirates is one of Nepal's most familiar and respected opponents.

Key takeaways

• In ODIs, Nepal and UAE have met around 15 times, with Nepal holding a lead of roughly 9 wins to 6 (ESPNcricinfo head-to-head, up to mid-2026).
• In T20Is, the rivalry is far tighter, with the two sides close to even at about 5 wins each.
• Nepal won their first-ever ODI series 2-1 against UAE in 2019, shortly after regaining ODI status.
• Nepal beat UAE by seven wickets in the ACC Premier Cup final on 2 May 2023 to reach the Asia Cup for the first time.
• Nepal also beat UAE in the 2023 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier semi-final, on the way to the 2024 T20 World Cup.
• Both teams are ICC Associate members, so their games frequently double as qualifiers, raising the stakes.

Two Associate heavyweights

To understand the rivalry, it helps to understand the two teams. The United Arab Emirates has a long cricketing history, powered partly by a large South Asian expatriate community, and hosted the 1996 leg of major Asian events long before Nepal arrived on the scene. The UAE qualified for the 1996 and 2015 Cricket World Cups and has been a fixture of the qualifying circuit for decades.

Nepal, by contrast, rose later but faster, riding a wave of passionate home support. The team earned T20I status during the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and regained ODI status in 2018. Since then, Nepal has become one of the most-watched Associate sides in the world, with sell-out crowds at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and a fan culture that rivals far larger nations.

Because both teams compete in the same ICC pathway events — World Cricket League, World Cup League 2, the ACC Premier Cup and various qualifiers — they meet often, and almost always with something on the line.

The head-to-head record

Across formats, the rivalry is genuinely competitive, but the two formats tell slightly different stories.

| Format | Approx. matches | Nepal wins | UAE wins | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | ODIs | ~15 | ~9 | ~6 | Nepal holds a clear edge | | T20Is | ~10 | ~5 | ~5 | Very close, near even |

These figures are drawn from ESPNcricinfo's head-to-head records up to the middle of 2026. Because both teams play regularly in multi-year league cycles, the totals tick upward each season, so treat them as a snapshot rather than a final tally and confirm the latest numbers on ESPNcricinfo before quoting them.

The pattern is clear enough, though: in the 50-over game Nepal has generally had the upper hand in recent years, while the shorter 20-over format has stayed knife-edge, with momentum swinging between the sides from one tournament to the next.

A breakthrough: the 2019 ODI series

A foundational moment in the rivalry came in 2019, when Nepal played and won their first-ever bilateral ODI series, beating UAE 2-1. Coming so soon after Nepal regained ODI status in 2018, the result was hugely symbolic. It signalled that Nepal could not only compete with an established Associate power like UAE but beat them in a series, and it set the tone for the contests that followed.

From that point on, fixtures between the two became a recurring feature of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2, a multi-team, multi-year competition that decided ODI World Cup qualification pathways. Matches were split between Nepal, the UAE and other host nations, producing a steady stream of close, high-stakes encounters.

The 2023 ACC Premier Cup final

If one match defines the modern rivalry, it is the ACC Premier Cup final on 2 May 2023, played at the Tribhuvan University ground in Kirtipur. The prize was enormous: a place in the 2023 Asia Cup alongside India and Pakistan, Nepal's first-ever Asia Cup appearance.

UAE batted first and posted 117, with Asif Khan top-scoring on 46. In reply, Nepal lost two early wickets before Gulshan Jha steadied the innings with a composed 67, supported by Bhim Sharki, to see Nepal home by seven wickets. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane chipped in with 2 for 34 and was named player of the tournament, finishing the event with 13 wickets in five matches.

For Nepali fans it was a red-letter day: a generation-defining win over a familiar rival that unlocked a stage shared with cricket's giants. It remains the single most celebrated Nepal-versus-UAE result to date.

The 2023 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

Later in 2023, the two met again with another World Cup on the line. In the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, Nepal beat UAE in the semi-final by eight wickets, a result that helped propel Nepal toward qualification for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.

That tournament double — reaching both the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in the space of a single year, with UAE beaten along the way — marked the high point of Nepal's rise and cemented the rivalry's importance. For UAE, these losses were painful precisely because the two teams are so evenly matched; small margins decided big outcomes.

Why the rivalry matters

Several threads make Nepal vs UAE more than just another Associate fixture.

• Shared pathway. Both compete in the same ICC and ACC qualifying events, so they meet constantly, and often when qualification is at stake.
• Contrasting styles of support. UAE draws on experienced, expatriate-heavy squads and slick stadium infrastructure in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, while Nepal brings raw passion and enormous home crowds.
• Genuine competitiveness. The near-even T20I record and Nepal's ODI edge mean neither side can take the other lightly.
• Spin versus depth. Nepal's attack has often leaned on wrist-spin, with Lamichhane the headline act, while UAE has typically countered with batting depth and pace.

For travellers curious about local life, cricket is a wonderful window into modern Nepali culture. On a match day against a rival like UAE, you will hear the city of Kathmandu erupt, and a quick chat about the team is one of the friendliest ways to connect with locals.

Venues and atmosphere

Most of these contests are played either in Nepal or the UAE. In Nepal, the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley, is the spiritual home of the national team. Packed terraces, drums and a sea of red-and-blue make it one of the loudest grounds in Associate cricket.

In the UAE, fixtures are typically staged at the international stadiums in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, long-standing neutral venues that also host major ICC and franchise events. The contrast — fervent home support in Kathmandu versus polished desert arenas — is part of what gives the rivalry its character.

If you are planning a trip and want to combine sport with sightseeing, our guides to Kathmandu and the wider list of best places to visit in Nepal pair well with catching a match.

The bottom line

Nepal vs UAE is a rivalry built on near-equals: two ambitious Associate nations whose meetings have repeatedly decided World Cup and Asia Cup qualification. Nepal holds the edge in ODIs and shares the spoils in T20Is, and the 2023 wins in the ACC Premier Cup final and the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier stand as the rivalry's defining chapters so far. With both teams firmly on the global pathway, the next instalment is never far away — and for Nepali fans, few results taste sweeter than beating the UAE.

Sources

• Nepal vs UAE head-to-head, T20I match results — ESPNcricinfo
• Nepal vs UAE head-to-head, ODI match results — ESPNcricinfo
• Nepal national cricket team — Wikipedia
• Nepal beat UAE in ACC Premier Cup final to clinch place in Asia Cup — The National
• Asia Cup entry marks red-letter day for Nepali cricket — Kathmandu Post
• Nepal beat UAE, 2nd semi-final, T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2023 — ESPNcricinfo
• United Arab Emirates national cricket team — Wikipedia