KATHMANDU: Nepal secured a commanding 38-run victory over Oman in the Super Six stage of the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifiers last night.
With this win, Nepal climbed to the top of the standings with 8 points, while Oman dropped to second place with 6 points.
Chasing a target of 152 runs set by Nepal, Oman managed only 113 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Binayak Shukla top-scored with 32 runs, followed by Mohammad Nadeem with 25, while the rest of the batting lineup failed to make a significant impact.
Nepal’s bowling attack was led by Gulshan Jha, who took 3 crucial wickets for 31 runs in his 4 overs. Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav claimed 2 wickets each, while Sandeep Lamichhane added 1 wicket to his tally.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, Nepal posted 151 for 9 in 20 overs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel anchored the innings with a crucial half-century, scoring 69 runs off 51 balls, including 7 fours and a six. Fellow opener Asif Sheikh contributed 24 runs, while captain Rohit Paudel managed just 1.
Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee once again failed to deliver, getting out for just 2 runs. Kushal Malla added 7, Adil Alam 16, and Gulshan Jha 18 runs to the total. Nandan Yadav scored 9, and Sompal Kami remained unbeaten on 1.
Nepal has already qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup and will face Samoa in its final match of the Super Six on Friday. A win in that match would strengthen Nepal’s chances of clinching the tournament title.
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