Mumbai, Feb. 9 -- When Nepal secured a ticket to the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup through the Asia/East-Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman in mid-October last year, one thing was certain: the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup was going to get an extra boost with the inclusion of millions of passionate Nepali cricket fans.

And based on how Nepali fans were present in the country's maiden T20 World Cup berth in Bangladesh in 2014 and the second participation a decade later in the USA and the Caribbean in 2024, Nepal's matches at the 2026 main event in India, the closest, accessible and affordable destination for Nepalis, were going to see packed Indian stadiums.

Further, after the schedule of the 2026 T20 World Cup jointly hosted by India and...