In a group of former champions Sri Lanka – as well as experienced sites South Africa And Bangladesh – the Netherlands and Nepal meet in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The two associate members of the International Cricket Council are playing for pride and the chance to score two crucial points in the so-called “Group of Death” in their game in Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Tuesday.

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel will have a lifelong dream come true when he leads his team in the first match of the tournament against Scott Edwards-led Netherlands.

“It [the game] is very important for us, especially for Nepal Cricket,” Paudel said in his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“It was our dream. As children we wanted to be part of the World Cup. Tomorrow we will have the opportunity and we are very happy. We also have responsibility and will make the most of it.”

Nepal returns to the T20 World Cup after a gap of 10 years and three editions. The South Asian side won two of their three group matches at their debut tournament in Bangladesh in 2014, but have failed to qualify since then.

Paudel was aware of the enormous significance of this occasion and said he got “goose bumps” when he thought about the game.

Paudel said his team had been nervous before the tournament but was now ready to face one of their closest rivals on the Associate Cricket Circuit.

“We have played against the Netherlands many times and they are a very balanced team – the team that can handle the pressure well will win.”

“Both teams start on the same crease. Whoever plays the better cricket will win.” 🇳🇵🌍

We are well prepared for the game and are all looking forward to implementing the plan. 🏏

Captain Rohit Paudel at the pre-match press conference

📸: ICC… pic.twitter.com/DhwBE5wcLO

— CAN (@CricketNep) June 4, 2024

Netherlands are suspicious of Nepal's team and fans

Dutch coach Ryan Cook said his team was on guard against the threat posed by Nepal.

“Nepal is a team on the rise,” Cook told reporters.

“We played against them recently and their team has a lot of nuance. They have a lot of all-rounders, a lot of depth, a lot of bowling options.”

The coach of the Dutch team assumes that both sides are equal.

“They are improving day by day, just like we are as a team.”

Nepal fans are expected to flock to the match venue in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, which has a large South Asian community.

Cook said the Dutch would not be intimidated by their presence.

“I am sure there will be a lot of Nepali spectators tomorrow. We are not expecting that much support but we have played in front of Nepali spectators before. They are extremely respectful and support cricket as much as they support their own team.

“We will arrive with the small amount of orange that we have, but I know that everyone at home will be behind us.”

💪 #Stronger together#T20WorldCup #nordek pic.twitter.com/A4KomjbeyR

— Cricket🏏Netherlands (@KNCBcricket) June 1, 2024

Pitch and weather conditions

Dallas hosted the tournament Opening gamewhich was a goal-rich encounter for the USA until late into the night.

The pitch is expected to remain unchanged, however dew will not be a factor as the game will take place during the day and the sun will be beating down on the ground.

head to head

Nepal and the Netherlands have faced each other a few times recently, with the last encounter taking place in a T20 International (T20I) series in Kirtipur, Nepal.

The Dutch beat the hosts 2-1 in the evenly matched series and also in the head-to-head overall. They have won six of their 11 T20Is to Nepal's five.

Form

Both sides are in mixed form going into the game but will look to put that behind them in the all-important clash.

Netherlands: LLLLWW
Nepal: NLLLLLL

News from the Dutch team

Given his recent form with the bat, Michael Levitt could make his debut in the T20 World Cup.

Squad: Scott Edwards (captain), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O'Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, ⁠⁠Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi.

News from Team Nepal

Nepal's hard-fought and record-breaking batsman Dipendra Airee will be the one to watch in a team full of all-rounders.

Squad: Aasif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, Sundeep Jora, Rohit Paudel (captain), Karan KC, Kushal Malla, Pratis GC, Sompal Kami, Anil Sah, Abinash Bohara, Gulsan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kamal Airee, Sagar Dhakal.