India, Feb. 28 -- The league phase of the 2026 T20 World Cup reinforced Nepal's emergence as a fast-growing market for cricket after it was ranked third on the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s digital platforms.

"It has been particularly encouraging to see Nepal enter our top three markets for the first time, underlining the passion and momentum behind their team," ICC Head of Digital, Finn Bradshaw told HT.

Momentum soared for the Nepali cricket team in their second consecutive T20 World Cup appearance, even though their on-field advance was steady at best. Nepal could not sustain the momentum after their bright start where they gave former winners England a scare to begin their campaign. Nepal lost meekly to Italy and West Indies...