The road to a T20 World Cup has never been easy for Associate nations. For Nepal, the journey has often been filled with near misses, heartbreaks and dreams of competing on cricket's biggest stage. In 2019, thousands of Nepalese fans watched as the national team fell short in the Asia Regional Final, missing out on a place in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier. The disappointment ended Nepal's hopes of reaching the 2020 T20 World Cup before the final qualifying tournament had even begun. Now, several years later, a familiar pathway could be making a comeback.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to reintroduce the Men's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier, reviving a qualification system that was last used during the pathway to the 2021 T20 World Cup. While the ICC has yet to confirm whether the new structure will be implemented for the 2028 or 2030 T20 World Cup, the proposed return has generated significant interest among Associate nations.
Under the proposed format, 16 teams would compete in a single Global Qualifier tournament, with the top eight teams earning places at the T20 World Cup. The system would replace the current pathway in which qualification spots are awarded directly through regional tournaments.
The Global Qualifier was once the final hurdle for teams chasing a place at the World Cup. During the qualification cycle for the 2020 T20 World Cup, teams first battled through regional events before advancing to a global tournament featuring the best Associate nations from around the world.
Nepal, however, never reached that stage. In July 2019, Nepal competed in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Regional Final in Singapore. The tournament featured Nepal, Singapore, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia and Kuwait, with only one team advancing to the Global Qualifier. Despite entering the competition as one of the favourites, Nepal won only two of its five matches and finished third in the standings. Singapore topped the table and secured the lone qualifying berth.
The failure to reach the Global Qualifier meant Nepal's hopes of qualifying for the 2020 T20 World Cup ended in Singapore. It remains one of the most disappointing campaigns in Nepal's recent cricket history.
Since then, the qualification landscape has changed considerably. The expansion of the T20 World Cup to 20 teams increased opportunities for Associate nations, while the ICC moved away from the Global Qualifier system. Teams instead competed through regional qualification tournaments in Asia, Africa, Europe, East Asia-Pacific and the Americas, with World Cup spots allocated directly from those events.
The proposed return of the Global Qualifier would once again bring together the strongest Associate nations from every region. A 16-team event with eight World Cup spots at stake would create one of the most competitive tournaments outside the World Cup itself.
For Nepal, the change could provide both opportunity and challenge. Instead of relying solely on a regional pathway, the Rhinos would have the chance to compete against leading Associate teams from around the world for a place at the World Cup. At the same time, qualification would require navigating a highly competitive global field where every match could determine a nation's fate.
The ICC is yet to officially confirm when the Global Qualifier will return. Whether it arrives in the qualification pathway for the 2028 or 2030 T20 World Cup, its comeback would mark a significant shift in Associate cricket.
And for Nepal, it could offer a chance to rewrite a story that began with disappointment in Singapore seven years ago.