KATHMANDU: Nepal is set to take on hosts Scotland tonight in the second match of the ongoing tri-nation T20I series. The match will begin at 7:45 pm Nepali time.
Nepal will be eyeing their first win of the series after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Netherlands in a historic encounter that extended to a third Super Over — the first such instance in international cricket history.
After the initial 20-over match ended in a tie with both teams scoring 152, the first two Super Overs also ended level, prompting a rare third Super Over. In the decider, Nepal failed to score a single run, and the Netherlands sealed victory with a six off the first ball.
Captain Rohit Paudel top-scored for Nepal with 48 runs off 35 balls, while opener Kushal Bhurtel contributed 34. Needing 16 runs in the final over, Nepal almost pulled off a remarkable chase, with Nandan Yadav hitting a boundary on the last ball to tie the scores.
Earlier, Netherlands posted 152/7 after winning the toss and opting to bat. Teja Nidamanuru top-scored with 35, while Vikramjit Singh added 30 and Saqib Zulfiqar remained unbeaten on 24.
For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane starred with the ball, picking up 3 wickets for just 18 runs in 4 overs, while Nandan Yadav took 2 wickets.
The game marked the T20I debuts of Nepali batter Kiran Thagunna and pacer Rupesh Singh. It was also Nepal’s 100th T20 International match.
As for Scotland, they come into tonight’s clash with confidence after defeating the Netherlands by 39 runs in the opening match of the series.
Nepal and Scotland are meeting in a T20I for the first time, although the sides last played each other in an ICC World Cup Qualifier in 2013, where Scotland won by eight wickets.
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