Canada and Nepal meet on Saturday with a lot more than pride at stake. Both teams are playing their last series in CWC League 2, and a finish outside the top six could drag them into a relegation fight. Nepal beat Canada by 24 runs six days ago and have won both games so far in Oman. Canada has lost both of theirs. One more result will go a long way toward deciding who keeps their ODI status.
Match Details
- Match: Canada vs Nepal, 5th ODI, Oman Tri-Nation Series (ICC CWC League 2)
- Date: Saturday, 17 October 2026
- Time: Morning start, around 9:30 to 10:00 AM Oman time (5:30 to 6:00 AM GMT)
- Venue: Oman Cricket Academy Ground, Al Amerat
- Format: 50 overs per side
Different sites list slightly different start times, so check on the day.
Why This Match Matters
League 2 is the road to the 2027 World Cup, but for these two sides the top-four race is already gone. What’s left is the fight to finish in the top six. Nepal’s own media has said that outside the top six, Nepal would have to play off against two teams from the Challenge League to stay in the ODI ranks.
The table is tight. After Nepal’s win on 11 October, they moved into sixth place, with Canada seventh. The two sides were separated by a single point. Nepal then beat Oman by 113 runs on Tuesday, and Kathmandu Post reports that a win over Canada would make sure they finish in the top six.
Canada have a harder road. They’ve lost their last five ODIs, and they play Oman on Thursday before this game, so check that result before you read too much into the table.
Tri-Series Standings
This is how the three teams looked after Tuesday’s play, before Thursday’s Oman vs Canada game.
Results so far: Oman beat Canada by 41 runs on 9 October, Nepal beat Canada by 24 runs on 11 October, and Nepal beat Oman by 113 runs on 13 October.
Head-to-Head
Canada won both of their League 2 meetings with Nepal in September 2024, at home. Nepal won the first meeting of this series, so Saturday works as a decider of sorts.
Team Analysis: Squads and Recent Form
Canada
Hamza Tariq (c), Shreyas Movva (vc), Dilraj Deol, Samit Gohel, Ajayveer Hundal, Aaron Johnson, Akhil Kumar, Sheel Patel, Yuvraaj Samra, Kaleem Sana, Shivam Sharma, Zahid Shirzad, Sukhjinder Singh, Harsh Thaker, Aaditya Varadarajan.
Canada have fought without finishing the job. Against Nepal on Sunday, they chased 236 and were bowled out for 211. Aaron Johnson made 44, Harsh Thaker added 35, and Akhil Kumar finished unbeaten on 30. The bowlers did well too, with Akhil taking 4 for 68 and Sukhjinder Singh taking three wickets. Before that, Canada lost to Oman by 41 runs, and in August they lost to Scotland twice and the UAE once. Thaker is Canada’s top run-scorer in League 2, with 836 runs.
Nepal
Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Basir Ahamad, Dipendra Singh Airee, Shahab Alam, Gulshan Jha, Sundeep Jora, Karan KC, Dev Khanal, Arjun Kumal (wk), Sher Malla, Ishan Pandey, Rohit Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Nandan Yadav.
Opener Kushal Bhurtel and seamer Sompal Kami were left out of the squad. Nepal still has plenty of options in spin, led by Lamichhane, Rajbanshi, Alam and Malla. Their form is strong. Rohit Paudel made 101 off 127 balls against Canada, his third ODI century, after Nepal lost early wickets. Against Oman, Karan KC hit 40 off 16 balls late in the innings, and Lamichhane and Nandan Yadav took three wickets each.
Expected Playing XI
These are guesses based on the squads and the first two matches, so expect changes.
Players to Watch
- Rohit Paudel (Nepal): He scored a hundred against Canada and a patient 61 off 67 against Oman. When Nepal’s openers fall, he’s the one who steadies things.
- Karan KC (Nepal): He was player of the match against Oman. His 40 off 16 got most of the headlines, but he also bowled six overs for just eight runs and took a wicket.
- Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal): The captain and leg-spinner took three wickets against Oman for 28 runs in nine overs. He picked up two against Canada as well.
- Akhil Kumar (Canada): Four wickets and an unbeaten 30 against Nepal made him Canada’s standout player so far.
- Harsh Thaker (Canada): A proven run-scorer in this tournament. He needs a bigger score than the 35 and 40 he’s made so far in Oman.
Key Battles
- Canada’s seamers vs Nepal’s openers. Aasif Sheikh scored 4 against Canada and again 4 against Oman, and Ishan Pandey was out for a duck on Sunday. If Canada get the openers out early, Nepal have to rely on Paudel again.
- Lamichhane and the Nepal spinners vs Canada’s middle order. Canada have scored 222 and 211 in this series. In both games, the batters got starts and didn’t convert them. Lamichhane’s overs in the middle could decide it.
- Karan KC and Nandan Yadav vs Canada’s top order. Yadav gave away two runs an over against Oman, and KC conceded 1.33 an over. If Canada can’t score freely against them, the pressure builds fast.
Prediction
Nepal are the favourites. They’ve won both matches, they have a hundred in the bank from Paudel, and they’ve got the stronger incentive, because a win could lock in a top-six finish. Canada have lost five in a row, but they’ve also beaten Nepal twice before, and they’ll play with nothing to lose. We’re backing Nepal to win, though a close finish wouldn’t be a shock.
FAQs
Which tournament is this match part of?
It’s part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, played as an ODI tri-series in Oman.
Who are the captains?
Hamza Tariq leads Canada, and Sandeep Lamichhane leads Nepal.
What happened when they met on 11 October?
Nepal won by 24 runs. They made 235, with Rohit Paudel scoring 101, and Canada were bowled out for 211.
Why does Nepal’s result matter so much?
Nepal are fighting to finish in the top six of League 2 to keep their ODI status. A win over Canada would secure that.
Conclusion
Both teams are close to the edge, and Saturday could settle a lot. Nepal come in with two wins, a hundred from Rohit Paudel and the chance to lock in a top-six finish. Canada have lost five in a row but have nothing to lose, which makes them dangerous. Expect a tight middle-overs battle with spin in the spotlight. Follow PB77 for the latest updates and betting predictions!