Al Amerat, Oct 14: Karan KC smashed a rapid 40 and delivered a tight bowling spell as Nepal crushed hosts Oman by 113 runs in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 on Tuesday.
Defending 263 for eight, Nepal bowled Oman out for 150 in 40 overs, with Nandan Yadav and Sandeep Lamichhane taking three wickets apiece. The victory lifted Nepal’s tally to 30 points from 35 matches.
Player of the match Karan struck four sixes and a four in his 16-ball innings, giving Nepal a late surge after captain Rohit Paudel’s half-century had anchored the innings. He then conceded just eight runs in six overs, including two maidens, and claimed a wicket.
Oman captain Vinayak Shukla offered the strongest resistance, scoring 77 off 83 balls with six fours and a six. But regular wickets at the other end left the hosts well short of their target.
Nandan dismantled Oman’s top order, finishing with three for 12 from six overs, including a maiden. Lamichhane returned three for 28 from nine overs, while Dipendra Singh Airee took two wickets. Lalit Rajbanshi and Karan claimed one each.
Jay Odedra made 25 and Jatinder Singh contributed 18, but Oman’s remaining batters failed to make substantial contributions.
Earlier, Nepal recovered from a shaky start after losing opener Aasif Sheikh for four with only 17 on the board.
Arjun Kumal and Ishan Pandey steadied the innings with a 64-run second-wicket partnership. Arjun scored 40 off 59 balls, while Ishan made 37 from 55 deliveries. Both hit four boundaries.
Rohit and Basir Ahmad then added 86 for the fourth wicket, giving Nepal a platform to build a competitive total. Rohit top-scored with 61 off 67 balls, striking three fours and a six. Basir contributed 37 off 50 deliveries.
Rohit’s dismissal at 191 triggered further wickets. Airee scored 22 off 17 balls and Sundeep Jora added 10 before Karan’s late assault pushed Nepal to 263. Nandan remained unbeaten on seven.
Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad and Karan Sonavale took two wickets each for Oman.
Nepal has already lost its chance of finishing in the top four and advancing directly to the World Cup qualifier. The remaining matches offer an opportunity to improve its position in the eight-team standings.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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