KATHMANDU: The opening match of the Nepal-Canada ODI Bilateral Series witnessed Nepal setting a target of 225 runs for Canada to chase down.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Nepal displayed a determined effort, posting a total of 224 runs for the loss of all ten wickets within the allocated 50 overs.

Leading the charge for Nepal was opener Kushal Bhurtel, who contributed a solid 62 runs to the team’s total, while Bhim Sarki added a valuable 17 runs.

Other notable contributions came from Kushal Malla with 20 runs, alongside Aasif Sheikh and captain Rohit Poudel, who both scored eight runs each.

Additionally, Aarif Sheikh, Pawan Saraf, and Sompal Kami made significant contributions with 38, 15, and 27 runs respectively.

On the bowling front, Uday Bhagwan proved to be a standout performer for Nepal, claiming three wickets, while Saad Bin Zafar and IS Shoi secured two wickets each for Canada.

With this target set, Nepal braces itself for the upcoming matches in the series, with the 2nd ODI scheduled for February 10 and the 3rd ODI slated for February 12.