KATHMANDU: Nepal recorded their second consecutive victory in the ACC Premier Cup ODI tournament, defeating hosts Malaysia by six wickets on Thursday.
After winning the toss and opting to field first, Nepal bowled Malaysia out for 103 runs in 32.3 overs. Nepal then chased down the target of 104 runs in 21 overs, finishing at 106 for four.
Opener Arjun Kumal remained unbeaten on 45 off 68 balls, hitting four boundaries. Ishan Pandey contributed 20 runs, while Dipendra Singh Airee scored 12 and captain Rohit Kumar Paudel added 10. Opener Aasif Sheikh was dismissed off the first ball of Nepal’s innings.
Karan KC was the pick of Nepal’s bowlers, taking four wickets for 23 runs in seven overs, including two maidens. Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi claimed two wickets, while captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Hemant Dhami and Dipendra Singh Airee took one wicket each.
For Malaysia, captain Syed Aziz top-scored with 30 runs, while Akil Wahid contributed 24. Nepal had defeated Bahrain by seven wickets in their opening match. With four points from two matches, Nepal currently sit at the top of the group standings.
Nepal will play their third group-stage match against Saudi Arabia and their final group match against Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, while the tournament winner will qualify directly for the 2027 Asia Cup.
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