Nepal secured their spot in the Asia Cup this year by defeating the UAE on Tuesday. The team is scheduled to face India and Pakistan during the group stage of the tournament. When asked about his name being mentioned alongside future Asia Cup Group A rivals Virat Kohli and Babar Azam in the post-final presentation, Paudel expressed his excitement.
"As a team, this is just the beginning for us," he added.
Nepal faced a tough challenge from the UAE during the final, which was postponed due to rain in Kathmandu the previous day. However, the hosts managed to bowl the UAE out for just 117 early on the reserve day. They eventually won by seven wickets thanks to a 96-run partnership between Gulshan Jha (67*) and Bhim Sharki (36*).
Paudel praised the thousands of fans who showed their support despite the bad weather. Many even arranged ad hoc accommodation to stay another night in the capital.
"They have been here for so long, and they're still here," Paudel said.
"Yesterday also in the rain they were standing for us. So biggest thanks goes to them."
In a bold move, Nepal pushed Jha up to No.3 during their tricky chase. The left-hander was used to counteract the spin threat of fellow 17-year-old phenom Aayan Khan. Despite stumbling to 22/3, Jha managed to steady the innings with Sharki before going on the attack, hitting a series of boundaries down the ground whenever the opportunity arose.
Reflecting on the win, Paudel credited coach Monty Desai for making the big call to push Jha up to No.3.
"It was a big call, and credit goes to Monty," Paudel said.
"He has been a serious role model to us, and we are learning from him.
"Gulshan played a gem of an innings. It's probably one of the best innings he has ever played."
Nepal will also feature in the upcoming Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, beginning on June 18. The Asia Cup is scheduled for September. Paudel's men beat UAE in mid-March to complete an incredible Cricket World Cup League 2 comeback, winning 11 of their last 12 matches to secure their spot in the Qualifier.