KATHMANDU: Nepal, having lost the toss and chosen to bat, posted a challenging total of 198 runs for the loss of 6 wickets against Papua New Guinea (PNG).

In the match played on Tuesday in the triangular T20 series at Hong Kong’s Mong Kok ground, Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Sandeep Zora showcased their prowess, each securing a half-century for Nepal.

Bhurtel’s impressive knock of 59 runs off 39 balls included four boundaries and three maximums, while Zora’s quickfire 56 runs off 26 balls featured three fours and four sixes.

Binod Bhandari, another opener for Nepal, contributed 27 runs off 22 balls, while Lokesh Bam added a brisk 14 runs in just 6 deliveries.

Bibek Yadav’s explosive cameo saw him score 19 runs in four balls, and Gulsan Jha remained unbeaten with a valuable 15 runs off 12 balls.

The captain of the side, Rohit Poudel, was dismissed for a single run, while Arif Sheikh fell for four runs in a 7-ball stint.

With this formidable total set by Nepal, the stage is now set for PNG to respond with their batting prowess.