Aakash Chand: Age, Career Stats, Nepal Debuts and U19 World Cup 5/34

Who is Aakash Chand?

Aakash Chand is a Nepal cricketer whose main role is right-arm medium bowling. Born in Kanchanpur in Nepal’s Sudurpashchim Province, he became widely known during the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup and made both his ODI and T20I debuts for Nepal within the following six weeks. His early senior record is small in volume but striking in shape: two wickets from two ODIs and seven from three T20Is.

Some official Nepal and Pokhara Avengers pages spell his first name “Akash”, while ICC and several statistical records use “Aakash”. The date of birth, bowling role, national side and career events align, so the spellings refer to the same player. This profile uses Aakash Chand as the main name while retaining the alternative spelling as an identity note rather than treating it as a second cricketer.

His career needs careful separation by level. The 5/34 against Afghanistan belongs to Under-19 international cricket, his Canada matches were senior ODIs, the Hong Kong series supplied his senior T20I figures, and his 2025 Nepal A wickets came in friendly matches. Combining those figures would create a larger but misleading total, so each section below states the competition and cutoff.

Aakash Chand age, birthplace and playing style

Aakash Chand was born on 18 December 2004 and was 21 years old on 23 August 2026. His birthplace is recorded as Bhimdatta, Kanchanpur, Nepal; some databases transliterate the city as Bheemdatt. That spelling difference does not change the location or the player's identity.

ICC lists Chand as a bowler who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium. Pokhara Avengers also lists him as a bowler and describes his skill as right-arm pace. The broader evidence therefore supports a specialist seam-bowling role, although a squad label alone does not establish where he will bowl in every match or whether he will be selected in a particular playing XI.

The distinction matters because “fast bowler”, “pace bowler” and “right-arm medium” are sometimes used loosely in reports. The formal ICC player classification is right-arm medium, while ICC’s Under-19 coverage called him a fast bowler when describing his tournament record. This profile keeps the formal style in the data card and uses pace-bowling language only in the wider cricketing sense.

How did Aakash Chand emerge at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup?

Chand’s most important youth tournament was the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. ESPNcricinfo’s tournament aggregates record ten wickets from seven matches, with a best return of 5/34, a bowling average of 25.50 and an economy rate of 6.07. Those numbers describe the Under-19 World Cup only and are not part of his senior ODI or T20I totals.

The tournament included more than one meaningful contribution. Chand took 3/34 against Pakistan before producing the five-wicket spell against Afghanistan. The earlier performance showed that the Afghanistan result was not an isolated appearance, while the later spell carried much greater match consequence because Nepal needed a win to reach the Super Six stage.

Youth tournaments often provide the first international exposure for emerging players, but success there does not guarantee an uninterrupted senior career. Chand’s case shows both the opportunity and the transition: the World Cup established his ability against his age group, then Nepal selected him for senior white-ball cricket in February and March 2024. His later Nepal A and franchise appearances became the next evidence of development.

Why was Aakash Chand’s 5/34 against Afghanistan important?

Aakash Chand took 5/34 as Nepal dismissed Afghanistan for 145 on 26 January 2024. ICC reported that he completed the five-wicket haul within 33 balls by attacking full and good lengths. Nepal then survived a tense chase to win by one wicket, so the spell directly supported qualification for the Super Six stage rather than arriving in a comfortable or inconsequential result.

ICC’s post-match feature identified Chand as the first Nepal fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul at the Men’s Under-19 World Cup. He was named Player of the Match, and captain Dev Khanal credited the bowling performance with giving Nepal the platform for the chase. The precise record is narrower than “first Nepal bowler ever”: it concerns Nepal fast bowlers at the Men’s Under-19 World Cup.

The innings figures also explain why the performance remains his signature result. Five wickets in a total of 145 represent one-third of the dismissals available to the bowling side. Yet the scorecard context prevents exaggeration: it was an Under-19 World Cup performance, not a senior international five-for, and it should not be inserted into his ODI, T20I or domestic career tables.

When did Aakash Chand make his ODI debut for Nepal?

Chand made his senior ODI debut against Canada in Kirtipur on 10 February 2024, during Canada’s tour of Nepal. Cricket Canada’s match report records his first ODI wicket as opener Navneet Dhaliwal, while the scorecard gives Chand figures of 1/31. Nepal chased the target to win by four wickets, giving him a winning start at senior international level.

He played again in the third ODI on 12 February and took 1/51. Nepal won that match by nine wickets and completed a 3–0 series sweep. Across the two appearances, Chand bowled 78 balls, conceded 82 runs and took two wickets. That produces a bowling average of 41.00, an economy rate of 6.31 runs per over and a strike rate of 39.00 balls per wicket.

Those calculations are consistent with the current statistical profile, but the sample is only two matches. It would be premature to use the average as a settled measure of his ODI level. The more useful reading is chronological: Chand moved into the senior side soon after the Under-19 World Cup and took one wicket in each of his first two ODIs.

What happened on Aakash Chand’s T20I debut?

Aakash Chand made his T20I debut against Hong Kong on 9 March 2024 and took 3/27. Hong Kong scored 212/6 before dismissing Nepal for 139, winning by 73 runs. The team result was difficult for Nepal, but Chand’s three wickets made him the most successful Nepal bowler by dismissals in his first match.

A debut haul of 3/27 is different from saying he controlled the whole innings. Hong Kong still passed 200, and T20 analysis should consider both wickets and runs conceded. Chand’s figures nevertheless showed an immediate wicket-taking impact: three dismissals in four overs at 6.75 runs per over in a match where the opposition’s overall scoring rate exceeded ten runs per over.

This was also the start of a compact three-match international burst in Hong Kong. The games against Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea supplied all seven wickets in his current T20I career table. Keeping that sequence together helps readers understand why his average and strike rate look strong while the total match count remains very small.

How did Aakash Chand take seven wickets in three T20Is?

After the 3/27 on debut, Chand took 1/16 against Papua New Guinea on 12 March 2024 as Nepal won by 85 runs. In the final the following day, he returned 3/41 against the same opponent, although Papua New Guinea won by 86 runs. The sequence was therefore 3/27, 1/16 and 3/41 across three matches.

Together, those spells amount to seven wickets from 60 balls for 84 runs. The resulting bowling average is 12.00, the economy rate is 8.40 and the strike rate is 8.57 balls per wicket. The wickets are impressive, particularly the rate of one dismissal roughly every nine balls, but the competition and sample size should remain visible beside the figures.

Two of the three-wicket hauls came in defeats, which is a useful reminder that individual wickets and team outcomes answer different questions. Chand contributed a wicket in Nepal’s large win over Papua New Guinea, while his biggest hauls could not offset high opposition totals. A balanced record should show both the performance and the match result.

Aakash Chand career statistics

The senior international snapshot displayed on this page covers two ODIs and three T20Is through 23 August 2026. It shows two ODI wickets with best figures of 1/31 and seven T20I wickets with best figures of 3/27. The table keeps the Under-19 World Cup, Nepal A friendlies and 2026 Top End T20 appearances outside those senior totals.

Chand did not bat in his two ODI appearances. In T20Is, the statistical record lists two runs from two innings, with one not-out and a highest score of two. Those batting figures are included for completeness, but they do not change his primary role: his selection case and documented performances have centered on right-arm bowling.

Statistics can move after a new international appearance, so the date attached to the snapshot matters. Readers comparing another database should check whether it includes the same formats and cutoff. A source may also show broader List A or T20 totals that include domestic matches; those are not contradictions when their competition scope is wider.

What did Aakash Chand do for Nepal A against Assam?

Chand played five Nepal A friendly matches against Assam in Guwahati between 28 August and 1 September 2025. Cricket Association of Nepal’s official CricClubs records list his bowling returns as 3/52, 1/16, 2/52, 2/36 and 2/39. Added together, that is ten wickets for 195 runs from 20 overs across the five games.

The calculated series figures are a bowling average of 19.50, an economy rate of 9.75 and a strike rate of 12 balls per wicket. The economy is high, but two wickets per match across a five-game run provides evidence of repeated wicket-taking rather than one exceptional day. His best return in the series was 3/52.

These were Nepal A friendly fixtures, not senior T20 internationals. They should therefore be read as development and selection evidence rather than added to the seven-wicket T20I total. The matches are still useful because they show Chand playing representative cricket after his 2024 senior debut and facing another structured state-level side.

What is Aakash Chand’s role with Pokhara Avengers?

Pokhara Avengers lists Akash Chand as a bowler in its current squad directory. The franchise’s player page also records his Nepal ODI debut against Canada on 10 February 2024 and T20I debut against Hong Kong on 9 March 2024. This official team listing establishes the relationship between Chand and Pokhara, but it does not mean he appeared in every Nepal Premier League match.

CricNepal reported that Pokhara acquired Chand for NPR 11.5 lakh in the 2024 NPL auction and retained him among seven domestic players for the second season in 2025. The auction amount is a published acquisition figure for that competition cycle. It should not be described as his annual salary, take-home income, endorsement earnings or personal wealth.

Available NPL statistics show a gradual rather than spectacular start. StatsNPL lists no wickets from three bowling appearances in 2024, followed by three wickets from five bowling appearances in 2025. Those franchise figures are separate from his Nepal, Nepal A and Under-19 records and should be updated only from competition-specific scorecards.

What do Aakash Chand’s records say about his bowling?

The clearest pattern in Chand’s documented career is wicket-taking in short bursts. His Under-19 World Cup best was 5/34, his T20I debut brought 3/27, and he later took 3/41 in the Hong Kong tri-series final. He also collected at least two wickets in four of five Nepal A friendlies against Assam.

ICC’s Afghanistan report offers the most concrete description of method: he took the Under-19 wickets by hitting full and good lengths. That evidence supports describing him as a seam bowler who can threaten the stumps and the outside edge when his length is disciplined. It does not justify assigning him a permanent tactical phase, such as exclusive new-ball or death-overs specialist, without a larger ball-by-ball sample.

His early numbers also contain a useful contradiction. Chand’s strike rates in T20I and Nepal A cricket show frequent wickets, but his economy rates can be expensive. That combination is common for developing attacking bowlers: dismissals create value, while control determines whether the value survives high-scoring conditions. More matches are needed before either trait becomes a settled career judgment.

Aakash Chand records and achievements

Chand’s leading achievement is the 5/34 against Afghanistan that helped Nepal reach the 2024 Under-19 World Cup Super Six. ICC identified it as the first five-wicket haul by a Nepal fast bowler at the Men’s Under-19 World Cup and awarded him Player of the Match. The record has a clear competition, age level and bowling category.

His other notable early markers are chronological rather than trophy-based: an ODI wicket on debut against Canada, 3/27 on T20I debut against Hong Kong, seven wickets in his first three T20Is, and ten wickets during Nepal A’s five-match Assam trip. Each shows progress at a different level, so none should be used to inflate another format’s total.

There is no need to turn every selection or squad listing into an achievement. Pokhara Avengers membership and Nepal reserve selection describe career position, while wickets, awards and qualification results describe performance. Keeping those categories distinct makes the profile more useful than a list that treats every announcement as an honour.

How much did Pokhara Avengers pay for Aakash Chand?

CricNepal reported an NPR 11.5 lakh auction price when Pokhara Avengers selected Aakash Chand for the inaugural 2024 Nepal Premier League. In South Asian numbering, 11.5 lakh means NPR 1.15 million. That is the clearest public financial figure connected to his cricket career found for this profile.

An auction price is not the same as audited salary or net worth. Competition rules, deductions, payment schedules, taxes, bonuses and private endorsements can change what a player ultimately receives. No dependable public financial statement establishes Chand’s current net worth, total career earnings or monthly income, so precise wealth estimates circulating on generic biography sites are not repeated here.

The responsible conclusion is narrow: NPR 11.5 lakh was the reported 2024 NPL auction amount. His 2025 retention confirms continued franchise interest but does not, on its own, disclose a new contract value. Any future number should be labelled by season, currency and transaction type rather than presented as lifetime wealth.

What has Aakash Chand said about family support?

After Nepal's Under-19 World Cup win over Afghanistan, Chand told ICC that his brother, sister and family were watching from Nepal. He also thanked supporters whose encouragement reminded him of his parents. The report did not name his relatives or establish further private details, so this profile does not speculate beyond his own comments.

What should readers watch next in Aakash Chand’s career?

The next meaningful indicators are selection and sustained performance rather than a single headline number. Chand's early T20I strike rate is strong, but it comes from three matches. More senior appearances would show whether he can keep taking wickets while lowering his economy rate against a wider range of opponents and conditions.

Cricket Association of Nepal named Chand in the 15-player Nepal A squad for the 2026 Top End T20 Series in Darwin. Exact scorecards confirm that he then played the first two matches: he bowled 3-0-27-0 in the eight-wicket loss to Northern Territory Strike on 21 August, then made 5 not out and bowled 1-0-5-0 in the nine-wicket loss to Bangladesh High Performance on 22 August.

Across those two completed matches, Chand bowled 24 legal deliveries, conceded 32 runs and took no wicket, an economy rate of 8.00. The figures belong to Nepal A in the Top End T20 Series, not to his senior Nepal T20I record. Nepal A had no fixture on 23 August, so later tournament matches remain outside this update.

His Under-19 record will remain a fixed career milestone even as the senior and Nepal A tables change. The key question is not whether he can repeat exactly 5/34, but whether the full-length discipline described by ICC becomes consistent at senior level. Future updates should continue to use completed scorecards and clearly scoped aggregates.