Kathmandu, April 26: Nepal tightened their grip on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign with a gritty 37-run victory over the United Arab Emirates at the TU International Cricket Ground, riding on a ruthless bowling display to defend a modest 200.
After being put in to bat, Nepal never quite found rhythm. The innings wobbled early and kept slipping. Aasif Sheikh and Bhim Sharki departed cheaply, and when Kushal Bhurtel fell for 24 and captain Rohit Paudel lasted just two runs, Nepal were suddenly gasping at 49 for 4.
Dipendra Singh Airee held the innings together like it was his personal responsibility to stop a collapse. His calm 75 off 90 balls, packed with five boundaries and two sixes, became the backbone of the total. He stitched crucial stands in the middle order, first with Basir Ahamad (20) and later with support from Aarif Sheikh and Sompal Kami. Karan KC’s late push of 22 added the finishing touch, dragging Nepal to 200 in 48.2 overs.
For UAE, Junaid Siddique impressed with 3 for 33, while Ajay Kumar and Khuzaima Tanveer also chipped in with wickets to keep Nepal in check.
Chasing 201, UAE briefly showed intent but never true control. The innings kept losing direction as Nepal’s bowlers squeezed them from both ends. Aryansh Sharma managed 18, Harpreet Singh top-scored with 39, while Muhammad Waseem (34) and Akshdeep Nath (30) gave starts but failed to convert.
The chase slowly unraveled under pressure, ending at 163 in 48.2 overs.
Karan KC was the standout destroyer, ripping through the lineup with 4 for 19 in 9.2 overs. Sompal Kami backed him up with two wickets, while Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi added two and one respectively. Dipendra also contributed with a wicket, completing a strong all-round outing for Nepal.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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