Nepal vs UAE Prediction & Preview – 2nd T20I (April 21, 2026)

19th April 2026

Nepal and UAE meet again at Kirtipur for the second T20I of their three-match series. Game 1 is Monday – whoever wins this rubber match on Tuesday has a shot at taking the series. Both sides are low on confidence coming in, but Nepal’s home advantage and a familiar pitch could be the difference.

Match Details

Team Form

Nepal come in showing a W-L-L-L-L run – one bright spot in five but the wins have come at home where conditions suit their spin-heavy attack. The Kirtipur ground historically suppresses scoring with variable bounce, making spinners like Sandeep Lamichhane a genuine weapon. That said, the batting has been inconsistent and they need a top-order performance to post a defendable total.

UAE aren’t in much better shape – L-L-W-L-L – but they’ve shown they can put together big scores when the top order fires. Sohaib Khan and Muhammad Waseem have the capability to take apart a bowling attack on their day. Away from home in low-scoring Kirtipur conditions, though, that gets harder.

Head to Head

Nepal lead the all-time T20I series 2-1 against UAE. The historical edge sits with the hosts, and conditions in Kirtipur make it even tougher for the travelling side. Nepal go into this one as clear favourites.

Key Players – Nepal

Dipendra Singh Airee leads Nepal’s Statz projections with 88.7 Dream11 points projected. He’s contributing with both bat and ball – 20.8 projected runs at a strike rate of 117.9 plus a bowling line (1.0 wicket projected). The standout all-format performer for Nepal and the player UAE need to dismiss early.

Kushal Bhurtel is the other major batting threat – 22.3 projected runs at SR 119.7, 84.5 D11 projection. As opener he sets the tone. If Bhurtel gets going at Kirtipur, Nepal can post something steep.

Sandeep Lamichhane is the wicket-taker. 66.4 D11 projection, averaging 1.3 wickets per appearance in these projections. On a surface that assists turn, the leg-spinner is genuinely threatening. UAE struggle against quality wrist spin on difficult decks.

Arjun Saud brings 57.5 D11 points projected and leads the powerplay points chart at 35.8 – a double-threat player who can shift a match with bat or ball in the early overs.

Key Players – UAE

Sohaib Khan leads UAE’s attack with 30.7 projected runs at the best strike rate in the UAE lineup – 137.5. He’s the one most likely to counterattack if UAE need quick runs. 61.5 D11 projection.

Muhammad Waseem is the top run scorer in UAE’s projections – 30.5 runs at SR 134.3, 63.1 D11. He’ll need to be at his fluent best early if UAE are to match Nepal’s total.

Basil Hameed (62.0 D11, 34.5 PP points) and Junaid Siddique (65.2 D11, 33.1 PP points) are both high-impact in the powerplay window. If UAE are going to put this game beyond Nepal, it’ll start with those two in the first six overs.

Muhammad Arfan is UAE’s best bowling option – 64.2 D11 with 1.0 wicket projected and 30.1 powerplay points. Keeping Nepal in check in the powerplay is his job. If Arfan can limit the damage early, UAE stay in the game.

Match Prediction

Nepal are the pick at Kirtipur. The home conditions, the H2H record at 2-1, and Statz’s player projections all point the same way – Dipendra Singh Airee and Sandeep Lamichhane make Nepal a difficult proposition for any visiting side at this ground. Nepal’s total around 130 should be enough to defend with the spin attack they have available.

UAE’s best-case scenario is Waseem and Sohaib Khan getting early runs before the spinners take over. It’s possible but unlikely based on what the data shows.

Prediction: Nepal to win

Statz projections accessed at statz.ai/cricket – all player stats and projections as published on statz.ai.