The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has picked up 20 players for a final round of selection for Nepal’s upcoming ICC World Cricket League Championship matches against Papua New Guinea.

Dilip Nath, Yagyaman Kumal, Irshad Ahmed, Sandeep Lamichhane and Bikram Sob are the new faces knocking national team doors for the PNG game scheduled for November 16 and 18 in UAE. CAN will name a final 14-member squad following the last round of selection.

The players were picked up following their performance in the Super League cricket tournament that concluded on Monday where a Nepal ‘C’ team led by Sharad Vesawkar defeated Paras Khadka-skipper Nepal ‘A’ by 40 runs. While CAN has put on hold the selectio of skipper, Prithu Baskota, Mehboob Alam and Naresh Budhayer were given a chance to return.

Out-of-form Binod Bhandari was not picked up in the 20-member squad following his poor form in 50-over cricket where as Subash Khakurel is poised to make a return making a tough competition in the opening slot with Mahesh Chhetri and Anil Mandal also knocking doors.

Khakurel was kept out of Nepal’s both WCLC matches against Scotland in July owing to his poor form but has impressed in the Super League scoring two half centuries. In absence of Khakurel and injured Sagar Pun, Chhetri and Mandal had opened for Nepal with the latter smashing a century in the first game.

Pun has also been included in the 20-member list alongside Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Shakti Gauchan, Basanta Regmi, Sompal Kami, Rajesh Pulami and Karan KC.

Nepal are going to have a busy three weeks in November as they are scheduled to play a two-day match against Hong Kong, friendlies against UAE local club and Oman apart from a historic one-day game against Pakistan on November 8 before facing PNG.