They have played much cricket between themselves over the past 4-5 years in mostly the T20 format of the game. There have been the List-A 50-overs matches as well in World Cricket League Championship and World Cup Qualifiers.
Yet, the next two matches the countries play will have more significance than ever. The difference being mere ODI status attached to the games. What difference does it make really?? Ask the players, support staff, coaches, the administrators and the adoring fans and one wouldn’t be left with an unsatisfied answer.
While Netherlands play their first ODI after the gap of 4 years (An ICC custom that no one can escape among the Associates when it comes to awarding status in World Cup Qualifier tournaments), Nepal play their first ever ODI status games (Being a beneficiary)Â thanks to the same customary tradition.
While the purists and the major Media houses frantically dissect and analyze the ball-by-ball happenings on the first day of Test match action between England and India, the second most trending (Dare say the Nepali craze will give a tough fight throughout the day in terms of posts and updates on Social Media platforms) Cricket event on the day will keep all neutrals and fans of Associate cricket glued to the Live Stream of the first ODI between Nepal and Netherlands.
When you are the Governing Body and are looking for the next big thing in terms of fan following and coverage, look no further beyond than Nepal. It can even make Goscinny and Uderzo have Obelix say to Asterix, “These Nepali are Crazy”!! Such is the sheer love and passion of the fans towards their National Team. Wonder when it’ll hit the shelves “Asterix and Obelix in Nepal”.
KNCB are live streaming the matches and Kantipur TV HD have secured the rights to distribute the stream on TV in Nepal. Don’t mind disturbing them during the match times, no one would probably even blink an eye. It’s simply going to be that big.
Neutrals and that includes the lakhs of people watching from India cause they’ll be playing the matches on Fantasy Cricket websites, will being the added traffic onto the stream. Pretty cool, isn’t it!! You could never simply count out Indian viewership, directly or indirectly.
Key players from Nepal to watch should be Basant Regmi, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane and Paras Khadka. Netherlands have the better pace bowling attack amongst the two, so they should feature heavily in any fantasy team. Michael Rippon and Pieter Seelaar will be key in the spin-bowling department for the Dutch and Rippon’s expertise in batting makes him the X-factor for them.
Netherlands have the biggest years in their Cricketing history coming up shortly when they play in ICC’s 13-nation ODI League, through which they host four Full members (12 ODI’s) from 2020-2021.
#SupportOrange and #Nepalicricket will be trending whole day long so keep adding up to that space. The D-day has almost arrived (less than 24 hours now). Ready, Get Set, Gooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
