Nepal lost to UAE, failed to qualify for Asia Cup

KATHMANDU: Nepal lost to UAE in the semi-finals of the ACC Premier Cup.

Along with this, Nepal has failed to reach the Asia Cup.

After setting a target of 120 runs, Nepal watched as UAE chased it down with ease, losing only 4 wickets in 17.2 overs. Alishan Sharafu led the charge for UAE with an unbeaten 55 runs off 41 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes.

Vishnu Sukumaran contributed 28 runs, while Syed Haider and Mohammad Wasim were out for 14 and 11 runs respectively, with Ayan Afzal Khan remaining unbeaten on 2 runs.

Nepal’s bowling effort saw Gulshan Kumar Jha taking 2 wickets, while Sompal Kami and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi each secured 1 wicket.

In their batting innings, Nepal struggled to make an impact, losing 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs and scoring 119 runs. Despite Sandeep Zora’s half-century, other batsmen failed to deliver. jora top-scored with 50 runs off 40 balls, while Gulshan Kumar Jha managed 20 runs and Karan KC added 17 runs before being dismissed.

Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Ashif Khekh were dismissed early, scoring 0 and 8 runs respectively, followed by captain Rohit Kumar Poudel (5), Kushal Malla (3), Dipendra Singh Airee (5), and Sompal Kami (2). Abhinash Bohara and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi remained unbeaten with 1 and 2 runs respectively.

Junaid Siddiqui, Ali Nasir, and Basil Hameed each took two wickets for UAE, while Omid Safi Rahman, Ayaan Afzal Khan, and Muhammad Farooq claimed one wicket each.

Despite dominating the group stage with victories against Malaysia, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia, Nepal’s journey in the ACC Premier Cup came to an end with the defeat against UAE in the semi-final.”