KATHMANDU: Nepal made a strong start in the four-nation T20 International cricket tournament, defeating Qatar by 8 wickets in their opening match at the Mission Road Cricket Ground in Hong Kong this morning.
Chasing a target of 152 runs, Nepal reached the total comfortably in just 17 overs, losing only two wickets.
Kushal Bhurtel led the charge with a brisk 38 runs, followed by captain Rohit Paudel with 37, Aasif Sheikh with 33, and Bashir Ahmed chipping in with 30. Qatar’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the lone successful bowler, claiming both Nepali wickets.
Earlier, Qatar, having been invited to bat first after losing the toss, posted 151 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Skipper Ikramullah Khan top-scored with a half-century (54), while Shahzaib Jamil (31), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (20), Mohammad Irshad (18), and Arumugaganesh Nagarajan (13) made notable contributions.
Nepal’s bowlers delivered a balanced performance, with Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi each taking one wicket.
The tournament features Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait, and hosts Hong Kong. Nepal will next face Kuwait on Thursday.
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