Kathmandu, August 6: The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has appointed former Indian cricketer Devika Palshikar as the consultant coach for the Nepali national women’s cricket team. This appointment comes as Nepal prepares for the upcoming 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier.

Having previously served as the assistant coach for India and Bangladesh, and as the batting coach for the Mumbai Indians Club during the last season’s Women’s Premier League, Palshikar brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She worked as an assistant coach for India from 2014 to 2016 and for Bangladesh in 2018.

The Asia Qualifier, scheduled to take place in Malaysia from August 31 to September 9, features two groups. Nepal has been placed in Group ‘A’ alongside hosts Malaysia, Bahrain, Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar. Meanwhile, Group ‘B’ consists of China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Thailand, and Myanmar.

In the tournament, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, and the finalists will earn the opportunity to compete in the Global Qualifier.

The Nepali national women’s cricket team selected for the tournament comprises the following players: Rubina Chhetri (Captain), Sita Rana Magar, Indu Barma, Apsari Begum, Kabita Kunwar, Kabita Joshi, Asmina Karmacharya, Ishwori Bista, Kritika Marasini, Bindu Rawal, Neri Thapa, Kajol Shrestha, Samjhana Khadka, Saraswoti Chaudhary, Sneha Mahara, Shristi Jaisi, Kanchan Shrestha, Roma Thapa, Sabnam Rai, Puja Mahato, Khusi Dongol, Manisha Chaudhary, Jyoti Pandey, and Ruby Poddar.