Fourth edition of Top End T20 Series to be held August 14-24
The first of four international sides set to play in the upcoming Top End T20 Series has been announced, using the tournament as a launching pad for their World Cup ambitions.
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Nepal has been announced as one of four international teams taking part in the 2025 Top End T20 Series.
The series in Darwin from August 14-24 will serve as valuable preparation for the 18th ranked side’s efforts to claim one of three remaining spots in next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.
Nepal is currently coached by former Australian batter Stuart Law and will play a minimum of 6 T20s at DXC Arena, TIO Stadium and Cazaly’s Arena.
The youngest T20 captain in world cricket, 22-year-old Rohit Paudel, will lead what is expected to be a full-strength squad.
That includes leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and one of the best fielders in world cricket, Dipendra Singh Airee.
Cricket in Nepal is absolutely booming with the country of 30 million people joining their Indian neighbours as a land of cricket lovers.
Nepal recently completed a T20 Tri-Series against Scotland and the Netherlands, and have just announced a historic first ever bi-lateral T20 Series against the West Indies in September.
The visiting international team is expected to receive plenty of support from the NT’s local Nepalese community which over the last decade has grown by 750 percent to more than 3000 people.
NT Cricket chief executive Gavin Dovey said they were excited to welcome the Nepal cricket team to the Top End T20 series for the first time.
“Nepal has developed a fanatical following in their home country and among the Nepali diaspora,” he said.
“We are delighted that all Nepalese eyes will be on the NT as we play a role in their cricketing journey.
“The Top End T20 Series was created as a vehicle to market and promote the NT to a global audience, and the arrival of Nepal is another example of the power and scale of our winter cricket opportunity.”
Cricket Association of Nepal secretary Paras Khadka said the team was looking forward to participating in the competition.
“It presents a valuable opportunity to prepare with strong intent and focused practice ahead of our ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers,” she said.
“Competing against quality opponents in Australian conditions will provide our players with critical exposure, helping them better understand their game and grow as professional cricketers.”
A full 2025 Top End T20 Series Schedule and all teams participating will continue to be announced over the coming weeks.
Locked in: Dates confirmed for 2025 Top End T20 Series
Dates have officially been revealed for the highly anticipated fourth T20 Top End Series.
It has been confirmed four international sides will compete in this year’s iteration, alongside six interstate, domestic sides while NT Strike will once again be flying the flag for the Territory.
Thirty-six matches will be contested across August 14-24, and will be played at five separate venues across the Top End – DXC Arena, TIO Stadium, Gardens Oval (Darwin), Cazaly’s Arena (Palmerston) and Freds Pass (Litchfield).
The series, again supported by Tourism NT, is hoping to build on it’s 2024 global audience, with 12.8 million viewers from 129 countries tuning in last year.
Developed as a means of showcasing the ability to play the sport “all year round”, NT Cricket’s chief executive Gavin Dovey said he’s excited to see the series continue to grow and evolve.
“We created the Top End T20 Series in 2021 as part of a national winter cricket concept,” Dovey said.
“(It) showcases the Territory as the only place in Australia that plays cricket all year round.
“The event has grown exponentially since then.
“We’ve more than doubled the number of teams participating, we’ve welcomed international teams from across the globe, and we’ve watched our broadcast audience increase threefold.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg echoed Dovey’s comments, and highlighted the importance of initiatives such as the Series to “innovate” and “evolve” the sport.
“The Top End T20 Series continues to go from strength to strength,” Greenberg said.
“There is no doubt that the next generation of players around the world are looking for more T20 playing opportunities so this event has great potential.
“Sports need to keep being innovative and evolving, so the chance to play elite cricket in the winter and all-year round is a unique opportunity for our sport and one we’re keen to keep supporting.”
*A full competition schedule and participating sides are yet to be announced.
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
– 2022: Cricket Australia XI def. Melbourne Stars Academy by 30 runs
– 2023: NT Strike def. Pakistan Shaheens by 46 runs
– 2024: Adelaide Strikers Academy def. Bangladesh High Performance XI by 32 runs
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Originally published as Fourth edition of Top End T20 Series to be held August 14-24
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