Afghanistan U-19 crush Nepal by 130 runs in opening ODI

KATHMANDU: Nepal U-19 team suffered a heavy defeat by 130 runs against Afghanistan U-19 in their first Youth One-Day  International (ODI) match on Thursday.

Chasing a massive target of 301 runs, Nepal was bowled out for just 170 runs in 46.2 overs.

Both teams are playing a three-match series as part of their preparation for the ICC U-19 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, which will begin next week in Mulpani, Nepal.

This is the first time Afghanistan U-19 is playing a series in Nepal. Afghanistan’s victory highlights their strong potential to be a top contender for the U-19 World Cup.

Opener Niraj Kumar Yadav was Nepal’s top scorer with 53 runs. He faced 61 balls, hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes. His opening partner, Sahil Patel, was dismissed for just 2 runs.

Captain Naren Bhatta contributed 13 runs, while Sibrin Shrestha scored 11. Amar Mishra (1), Roshan Biskarma (4), and Abhishek Tiwari (17) all fell cheaply.

In the lower order, Santosh Yadav and Ashok Dhami both made 24 runs. Santosh faced 39 balls, hitting 1 four, while Ashok struck 3 fours from 26 balls. Bipin Sharma was dismissed for 4 runs, and Dayanand Mandal remained unbeaten on 4 runs.

Afghanistan’s Wahidullah Zadran, Jatiullah Sahin, and Mahbub Khan each took 2 wickets, while Abdul Aziz, Nuristani Omarzai, and Nafifullah Amiri took 1 wicket each.

Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first, setting a target of 301 runs after losing 9 wickets in their 50 overs. Faisal Shinwazada was the top scorer for Afghanistan with 97 runs. He played 88 balls, hitting 9 fours and 4 sixes, before being dismissed by Santosh Yadav.

Shinwazada shared a 154-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Khalid Ahmadzai, who made 76 runs from 107 balls, including 6 fours.

Captain Mahbub Khan was dismissed for 9 runs by Santosh Yadav in a catch-and-bowl dismissal. Bekt Ibrahimzai contributed 35 runs from 26 balls with 2 fours and a six, while Azizullah Miah Khil made 21 runs from 20 balls with 2 fours.

Nafifullah Amiri scored 10 runs from 7 balls with a six. Abdul Aziz added 15 runs off 10 balls, including a six on the last ball of the innings to push Afghanistan’s total to 301.

For Nepal, Santosh Yadav was the best bowler, taking 3 wickets for 64 runs from 10 overs. Abhishek Tiwari took 2 wickets for 61 runs from 8 overs, while Dayanand Mandal and Bipin Sharma each claimed 1 wicket.

Afghanistan’s solid performance indicates their readiness for the upcoming U-19 World Cup, with Nepal looking to regroup and improve before the qualifiers.