A significant growth in fan engagement, followers and subscribers across all platforms has resulted in over one million fans being engaged through various platforms including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and Facebook.

CAN Cricket Operations Manager Binod Das said the growth was a result of innovative social media posts, including news about the team and behind-the-scenes content.

“People in Nepal are hooked to social media sites so we wanted to provide platforms where they can get news about the team," he said.

“We thought of it as our responsibility to make sure our fans and viewers are kept entertained and informed.

“Fans are an integral part to the development of cricket in Nepal so it becomes our moral obligation to make sure they are catered for.”

Global ICC Development Awards announced

Binod Das, CAN's Cricket Operations Manager, attributes this success to the innovative social media strategies employed by the association.

"People in Nepal are hooked to social media sites, so we wanted to provide platforms where they can get news about the team," said Das.

The platforms have provided content such as interviews and activities with players, while the Happy Dressing Room series, showcasing behind the scenes access, was a huge success with fans.

The results speak for themselves, with a 300% increase in followers over the last two years and now boast 840,000 followers on Facebook, a 250,000 increase from six months ago.

“Social media is really important,” Das added. “It has made players more relatable and recognisable to the fans.

“It has also led to a growth of people coming to the ground because fans have become more aware. And on a bigger level, it means there are more global eyes on the Nepal cricket team.

“We have fans from other countries like Afghanistan and Bangladesh who engage with the content. The exposure has gone global and played a huge role in making the game more commercial.”

There has always been a strong cricket following in Nepal and their attachment to the team has only increased through the association’s focus on social media – and there is much more to come.

“We want to bring in more relatable content, more interactions, interviews, and snippets,” Das said. “We like giving fans an idea of what it's like to be a national player in Nepal.

“We want to keep giving more information about matches, how to watch and attend. And we want to grow our women’s cricket content.

“We have made it good but we need to do a lot more. We want to make it better than what it is now.”

The ICC Development Awards are a longstanding initiative to reward outstanding efforts to grow and strengthen the game among the ICC Associate members and Das dedictated Nepal’s prize to their loyal supporters.

“We want to thank the fans for their immense love and support for the game in our country," he said.

“This digital award is a testament to the fact that cricket in Nepal is vastly followed and people of this country love the players and the game.

“The fans deserve this award more than anyone else.”