Nepal secures spot in Asia Cup, defeats Japan by 144 runs

KATHMANDU: Nepal has secured its place in the U-19 Asia Cup after a convincing 144-run victory over Japan.

In the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in two months, Nepal will compete against cricket giants India and Pakistan, alongside the UAE.

Nepal and Japan clashed in the semi-finals of the U-19 SCC Premier Cup, serving as a qualifying tournament for the Asia Cup. Despite losing the toss and being asked to bat at Malaysia’s Biomass Oval, Nepal managed to post a total of 140 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 22.1 overs.

At the time of interruption due to rain, Akash Tripathi was at 35 runs, and captain Dev Khanal was unbeaten on 8 runs. Before the rain delay, Deepak Bohora contributed 79 runs to the total, while Arjun Kumal added 10 runs.

Unfortunately, heavy rain prevented Nepal from completing their innings. Consequently, Japan was given a revised target of 187 runs to chase in 25 overs, following the Duckworth-Lewis (DL) method.

However, the Nepali bowlers put up a formidable display, restricting Japan to a mere 43 runs. Subas Bhandari dismissed Yamamoto in the 11.4th over, bringing Ratvik Shivakumar to the crease. He faced just one ball and could not continue his innings.

Hemant Dhami and Dipesh Kandel starred for Nepal, each taking three wickets, while Subas Bhandari claimed two wickets and Akash Chand took one wicket.

Nepal and UAE to represent Asia Cup

In the other semi-final held on Saturday, the UAE secured a 10-wicket victory over Singapore using the DL method.

Singapore batted first, managing to score 156 runs before losing all their wickets in 49 overs. In response, the UAE scored four runs in 7 balls before rain halted the game. After the rain delay, the UAE was given a revised target of 113 runs, which they achieved without losing a wicket in 15.5 overs.

With their places in the finals, both Nepal and the UAE have earned a spot in the U-19 Asia Cup. These two teams will be placed in Group A, alongside cricket powerhouses India and Pakistan.

Singapore and Japan, who were defeated in the semi-finals on Saturday, will compete for third place, with the winner also earning a place in the Asia Cup. This team will join a group that includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.