KATHMANDU: Nepal has clinched the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifiers title with a dominant 124-run victory over Samoa in the final Super Six match held Friday at the Al Emirates Cricket Ground in Oman.
Nepal had already secured World Cup qualification two matches earlier but sealed the top spot in style, finishing the tournament unbeaten with five wins from five matches.
Batting first after Samoa won the toss and elected to field, Nepal posted a formidable 211/4 in 20 overs. Opener Aasif Seikh starred with the bat, scoring 69 off 41 balls, including 7 fours and 4 sixes.
Dipendra Singh Airee added a rapid 53 from 33 balls, while Lokesh Bam (39* off 19) and captain Rohit Paudel (21* off 11) provided a strong finish. Kushal Bhurtel (17), Arif Sheikh (9), and others contributed to the team’s highest total of the tournament.
In response, Samoa struggled to build momentum, managing only 87/7 in their 20 overs. Lalit Rajbanshi led Nepal’s bowling attack with a brilliant spell of 3 wickets for 13 runs, including one maiden over. Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Rohit Paudel chipped in with one wicket each.
With this victory, Nepal topped the Super Six table with 10 points from five matches. Oman, who defeated Japan by 9 wickets earlier in the day, finished second with 8 points. The UAE claimed third place with 6 points. All three — Nepal, Oman, and the UAE — have qualified for the T20 World Cup 2026 from the Asia-East Asia Pacific region.
Qatar, Japan, and Samoa have been eliminated from the qualifiers. Samoa ended the Super Six stage winless.
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