T20 world cup qualifier: Nepal defeats the UAE by 1 run

Kathmandu: Nepal has defeated the UAE in the match held today under Super Six of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier.

In the match held in Al Amerat, Oman, Nepal defeated the UAE by a slim margin of 1 run. Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, Nepal posted a total of 140 runs in the stipulated 20 overs at the loss of 6 wickets.

For Nepal, Aarif Sheikh top scored with a half century, 51 in 47 balls while Opener Kushal Bhurtel contributed 28 runs in 26 balls, captain Rohit Paudel scored 20 in 19 balls and Kushal Mall chipped in 10 runs in 11 balls.

For the UAE, all the six bowlers used took 1 wicket each to restrict Nepal to a modest total. In reply, the UAE failed to equal the Nepali total by just 1 run. Alishan Sharafu top-scored with 58 runs in 40 ball, while Dhruv Parashar almost made it through with 32 runs in 18 balls.

Zahid Ali scored 11 runs in 11 balls. For Nepal, Dipendra Singh Airee was the hero with the ball, taking 3 wickets in 4 overs, giving away 22 runs.

The UAE needed 10 runs in the final over to win the match, but lost 3 wickets including 2 run outs. Lalit Rajbansi, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane took 1 wicket each.

Nepal now stands second in the points table of Super Six, with 4 points in 2 matches, falling behind Oman that stands first with equal points but better run rate.

The UAE is in third position followed by Japan, Samoa and Qatar. Nepal will now face Qatar in the match to be held tomorrow and against Oman on Wednesday. The top two from among the six qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka, from February to March, 2026.

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