T20 series: Nepal defeats America by 17 runs

KATHMANDU: Nepal secured a 17-run victory over America in the first match of the T20 series.

After losing the toss, Nepal batted first at the Grand Prairie ground in Dallas, setting a target of 165 runs.

America managed to score only 147 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their chase.

Dipendra Singh Aire was instrumental in Nepal’s triumph, taking three crucial wickets in his three overs.

He also contributed to the batting effort, scoring 28 runs off 17 balls, including two fours and a six, earning him the Player of the Match award.

Nepal’s captain, Rohit Paudel, led from the front with a solid performance, scoring 49 runs off 33 balls, featuring four fours and one six, just missing out on a half-century.

Openers Anil Shah and Ashif Sheikh each scored 27 runs; Shah hit 2 fours and 1 six from 18 balls, while Sheikh struck four fours off 27 balls.

Kushal Bhurtel managed only 10 runs off 13 balls, and Gulsan Jha started aggressively but was dismissed for 11 runs from just 7 balls, hitting 1 six and 1 four.

The middle and lower order struggled, with Karan KC and Arif Shaikh both out for zero and Sompal Kami managing just two runs.

Nepal’s batting faltered in the final overs, with American bowlers Saurabh Netrawalkar, Jasdeep Singh, and Harmit Singh each taking two wickets to dismantle the Nepalese lineup.

With the series continuing, Nepal will play the second match on Sunday and the third match on Monday.