Kathmandu, June 7: Nepal booked its place in the final of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Qualifier after defeating Oman by eight wickets in the semi-final held in Singapore.
Pursuing a target of 95 runs, Nepal completed the chase with ease, reaching 96 for 2 in only 9.2 overs.
Opener Lokesh Bam anchored the innings with an unbeaten 44 runs, while skipper Rohit Paudel remained not out on 21. Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with 20 runs, and Aasif Sheikh scored one.
Earlier, Oman elected to bat after winning the toss but failed to build momentum and were dismissed for 94 in 19.4 overs. Captain Sufyan Mehmood was the top scorer with 38 runs. Juber Ali Akbar contributed 22, while Abduljalil Khan added 16.
Nepal’s bowlers dominated throughout the innings. Karan KC was the standout performer, claiming three wickets. Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane grabbed two wickets each, while Shahab Alam, Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee took one wicket apiece.
The victory sends Nepal into the tournament final, where it will take on the winner of the other semi-final between Hong Kong and Malaysia.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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