KATHMANDU: Captain Rohit Paudel’s all-round performance propelled Nepal to a convincing 56-run victory against Oman in the tri-nation T20 cricket series in Canada.
Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal set a target of 158 runs, finishing their innings at 157 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.
Captain Paudel played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 56 runs off 44 balls, which included 2 fours and 4 sixes.
Other notable contributions came from Kushal Malla (19 runs), Dev Khanal (18 runs), Asif Sekh (14 runs), and Anil Shah (11 runs). For Oman, Fayaz Butt impressed with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs.
In reply, Oman struggled to chase down the target, being bowled out for just 101 runs with 13 balls remaining.
Kushal Bhurtel was instrumental in restricting Oman, claiming the last 3 wickets while conceding only 10 runs off 11 balls.
Captain Paudel also made significant contributions with the ball, taking 2 middle-order wickets, while Rijan Dhakal and Sandeep Lamichhane each chipped in with 2 wickets as well.
Oman’s innings started poorly, losing their first wicket when Dhakal dismissed Kashyap Pujapati for just 2 runs in the second over.
Dhakal later claimed the wicket of Soheb Khan, who managed 9 runs. A brief resistance came from Aqeeb Alias and Jason Masood, who partnered for 40 runs for the third wicket before Lamichhane dismissed Alias for 22 runs.
Masood top-scored for Oman with 35 runs off 30 balls, including 3 sixes, before being bowled out by Paudel, who delivered a remarkable over that yielded 2 wickets for just 7 runs.
Ultimately, Oman’s batting line-up crumbled, with only Pratik Alwale reaching double figures with a score of 12 runs.
Captain Paudel’s all-round performance was pivotal in securing a dominant victory for Nepal.
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