Nepal Cricket Team (R) & Bangladesh (Source: AFP Photos)Ghanashyam Bhandari, Nepal’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, suggested a T20I series between his country and Bangladesh. The idea came after Nepal was severely hit by devastating floods in the Himalayan region, which took place about two weeks ago and already took over 1300 lives, leaving over 5000 people missing.Amidst Nepal’s challenging times, Bhandari met Bangladesh’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Md Aminul Haque. There, he proposed the idea of having a bilateral series between Nepal and Bangladesh.Nepal’s Bangladesh Series Bid Has Bigger PurposeIn the recent meeting between Bhandari and Haque, the former said they could host or even visit Bangladesh, whichever they prefer. To support the idea, he said it could lift the morale of the Nepali people, who have recently been hit by a major mental setback."Bangladesh and Nepal have excellent political relations. However, there is ample scope to further advance these relations through cultural exchanges and sports," Bhandari said in a statement."Especially, our people affected by the recent disaster need inspiration. We are requesting Bangladesh to organise a T20 series. Our team is fully prepared to visit Bangladesh. Similarly, we are also ready to welcome the Bangladesh team to Nepal," he said.Also Read: Former Delhi Capitals Star Named As Nepal's New ODI Captain; Replaces Rohit PaudelFurthermore, Haque liked the idea and told Bhandari to send the proposal in a written manner to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for execution."We strongly believe in sports diplomacy and are already working to expand cooperation in various sports," Haque said.Have Bangladesh And Nepal Met Before In Any Match?Yes, Bangladesh and Nepal have faced each other in a cricket match before. They had two T20Is, one in 2014 and another in 2024. Both matches happened during T20 World Cups.Notably, Bangladesh won both the matches, one by eight wickets during 2014 T20 World Cup and the other by 21 runs.Therefore, it goes without saying that this would be the first-ever bilateral series between Nepal and Bangladesh if the BCB and Nepal Cricket Board come to an agreement on the proposal.Nepal, Bangladesh's Recent FormsBangladesh recently toured Australia and made history by winning the first Test against the Pat Cummins-led side. They were also in impressive form in Zimbabwe before that, winning the T20I series 2-1.However, Bangladesh lost the ODI series against Zimbabwe 1-2 in July.Nepal, meanwhile, has been in action in the ongoing ACC Men's Premier Cup. They beat Oman by 87 runs in the semi-final at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur.On Saturday, Nepal won the entire thing, defeating the UAE by 44 runs in the final at the same venue. Aasif Sheikh, who made 102 off 106 balls with eight fours and four sixes, was their hero for World Cup 2027 qualification.Prior to the semi-final, Nepal lost to Hong Kong, China by 15 runs in their last Group stage match in the ACC Men's Premier Cup.Also Read: Brutal Fight Breaks Out In Nepal vs UAE, Sandeep Lamichhane Charges Aggressively
