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Every cricket nation has one player who announces himself with a moment so striking that it becomes part of the country’s sporting folklore. For Nepal, that moment arrived on 31 January 2019, when a 17-year-old boy stepped out against the UAE and smashed an unbeaten 53, becoming the youngest male cricketer in history to score a T20I half-century. That boy was Sundeep Jora, and the cricketing world took notice instantly. Born on 20 October 2001, Sundeep’s rise through Nepal’s ranks was rapid and deserved. A technically assured right-handed batter with a temperament far beyond his years, he was handed his ODI debut on 28 January 2019 — just two days before that record-breaking T20 innings. What followed was a journey that took him through global qualifiers, youth cricket’s biggest stages, and senior national duties. Sundeep was a key member of Nepal’s squads for the Asia Qualifiers for the 2020 U-19 World Cup, the Oman Pentangular Series, and the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup. His consistency and calmness under pressure made him a valuable asset. Later in 2019, he also represented Nepal at the South Asian Games, playing a crucial role in the team’s bronze-medal finish. His most recent milestone came in May 2024, when he earned a spot in Nepal’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, reaffirming his standing as one of the nation’s most dependable young batsmen. In the Nepal Premier League, Sundeep now brings that same maturity and class to the Lumbini Lions. While others in the squad provide fireworks, Sundeep is the steady hand in the middle order — the player who rebuilds after early wickets, rotates strike intelligently, and accelerates when the moment demands it. His international experience adds calm to tense chases, and his ability to handle pressure gives the Lions backbone whenever the innings become tricky. Still only in his early 20s, Sundeep Jora is far from the finished product — and that’s exactly what excites the Lumbini Lions
