KATHMANDU: Nepal was forced to share points with Hong Kong in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asian Qualifier after the game was called off due to rain.

The match, scheduled for Friday in Thailand, could not proceed to the toss stage, resulting in both teams receiving one point each. Nepal is placed in Group ‘C,’ which includes Hong Kong and Bahrain.

Each team in the group will play two matches against the other two teams. Nepal’s next match is set for Saturday against Bahrain. They will face Hong Kong again on May 13 and play their final group-stage match against Bahrain on May 15.

After the preliminary stage, the top team from each of the three groups will progress to the ‘Super-3’ phase, where they will compete in a round-robin format. Group ‘A’ consists of Bhutan, Kuwait, and host Thailand, while Group ‘B’ includes Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

From this tournament, two teams will secure a place in the Global Qualifier for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The Global Qualifier will feature ten teams, with Bangladesh, Scotland, and the United States already securing their spots. Seven spots remain open, with two each from Asia, Europe, and Africa, and one from the East Asia-Pacific region yet to be determined.

The top four teams from the Global Qualifier will earn a place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled for 2026. As such, the Asian Qualifier is a crucial stepping stone for teams aiming to secure a spot in the global tournament.