The Maldives will take part in Bhutan’s first international cricket tournament, competing in a quadrangular series that includes Bhutan, Thailand, and Indonesia. The tournament will be held at Bhutan's newly inaugurated Gelephu International Cricket Ground.
This newly developed stadium, established with support from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), hosted its first major tournament in February of this year.
The Maldives T20 national team is set to face Indonesia in their opening match on Saturday afternoon, followed by a game against Bhutan on Sunday morning and a match against Thailand on Tuesday morning. Quarter-finals are scheduled for Wednesday, with the third qualifying match set for Thursday, and the grand final to take place on Friday, October 25.
Leading the Maldives team is captain Yoosuf Azyan Farhath, with Adam Naseef Umar serving as vice-captain. The squad also includes key players Leem Shafeeq, Mohamed Miuwaan Shifau, Mabsar Abdulla Ibrahim, Ahmed Ameel Mauroof, Ismail Ali, Hassan Ibrahim, Ibrahim Shauf Hassan, Ibrahim Rizan, Azzam Mohamed, Ibrahim Nashaath, and Hassan Hazig Rasheed. The coaching team is headed by Ismail Nihadh and Ahmed Neesham Nasir.
Bhutan's cricket journey began in 2003 when they played their first international match against the Maldives during the Emerging Nations Cup, a match comfortably won by the Maldives. In more recent history, Bhutan made their Twenty20 international debut at the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal, where the Maldives again emerged victorious by eight wickets.
The two nations faced off in February this year during the ACC Twenty20 Challenge Cup and the Quadrangular tournament in Thailand, with the Maldives winning both league-stage matches.
