Cricket
Nepal will play India, Ireland and the West Indies in Group A of the 2027 ICC Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup, while Kathmandu will stage 15 of the tournament’s 41 matches. Nepal News published the local schedule details on October 22, reporting that the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Stadium and Upper Mulpani International Cricket Ground will be the two Nepal venues.
The International Cricket Council’s official schedule, released on October 21, confirms that Bangladesh and Nepal will co-host the 16-team competition from January 21 to February 6. Nepal begin their campaign against Ireland at TU on January 22. Because the ICC lists that fixture as the earlier of the two TU matches that day and states that morning games begin at 9:30 local time, Nepal’s opener is scheduled for 9:30 am Nepal time.
Defending champions India face the West Indies at the same ground at 1:30 pm. The announcement is a major hosting milestone as well as a competitive draw: Nepal News describes this as the first time the country has been given an Under 19 World Cup hosting role. The confirmed schedule gives supporters concrete opponents, venues and start times, replacing the broader hosting and preparation information available earlier in the year.
The tournament opens on January 21 with four matches split between Bangladesh and Nepal. Kathmandu’s first day features Sri Lanka against Scotland at Upper Mulpani in the morning, followed by England against the United States in the afternoon. Nepal’s Group A contains contrasting challenges. India enter as two-time defending champions, while Ireland and the West Indies complete the group.
The other groups contain South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa in Group B; Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates in Group C; and England, Sri Lanka, the United States and Scotland in Group D. Group matches run through January 26. The leading sides then move into a Super Six phase divided into two groups, and the top two teams from each Super Six group advance to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals and final will be played in Bangladesh, with the final scheduled for February 6 and February 7 reserved if needed. The ICC says morning matches start at 9:30 and afternoon matches at 1:30 in the host country’s local time. For Kathmandu fixtures, those published times are already Nepal time and do not require conversion from Bangladesh time or UTC.
The schedule also gives fresh context to Nepal’s recent youth programme. Radio Nepal reported on October 19 that a 13-day closed camp in Bhairahawa had concluded with 28 players drawn from all seven provinces. That report described the camp as preparation for the women’s Under 19 Asia Cup and the World Cup, but it did not identify Nepal’s World Cup opponents or match timetable.
The October 22 schedule report now supplies that missing competitive framework. It does not, however, announce Nepal’s final tournament squad, and the 28-player training group should not be presented as the confirmed World Cup team. Analysis of the draw suggests Nepal can now structure preparation around three specific group opponents and two home venues, while organisers have a clear operational window for 15 matches in Kathmandu.
Home conditions may provide familiarity, but the schedule does not guarantee results and the defending champions will share Nepal’s group. The wider significance is that international youth women’s cricket will be staged at both TU and Upper Mulpani, giving local audiences access to multiple national teams across the group and later placement phases.
Further updates should come through the ICC and Cricket Association of Nepal, including the final Nepal squad, ticket or entry arrangements and any venue-specific operational guidance. For now, the verified development is the confirmed Group A draw, Nepal’s January 22 opener against Ireland at 9:30 am NPT, and a 15-match hosting programme across Kathmandu’s two international grounds.
Source publication date: 2026-10-22. Event or reporting period: Tournament runs from 2027-01-21 to 2027-02-06; Nepal open against Ireland on 2027-01-22.
Sources:Nepal News, October 22, 2026; Nepal group, 15-match hosting allocation, Kathmandu venues and original article featured photograph · ICC, October 21, 2026; official tournament dates, groups, venues, format and match start times · ICC, October 21, 2026; official schedule overview and Nepal opener against Ireland · Radio Nepal, October 19, 2026; verified background on Nepal’s completed Bhairahawa preparation camp
Source: GPT News Feed
