In a one-sided encounter at the ACC U-19 Asia Cup, Pakistan convincingly defeated Nepal by 7 wickets at the ICC Academy Oval-2 in Dubai.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat, Nepal managed to score 152 runs in 47.2 overs. Facing early troubles at 46 runs with the loss of 5 wickets, Nepal found stability through the partnership of Uttam Thapa Magar (51 runs off 76 balls) and Dipesh Kandel (31 runs off 59 balls). However, Pakistan’s Mohammad Zeeshan stole the show with an outstanding bowling performance, claiming 6 wickets. Amir Hassan took 2 wickets, and Ubaid Shah and Ali Asfand secured 1 wicket each.
Chasing the target, Pakistan comfortably reached 153 runs with 142 balls to spare and lost only one wicket in the process. Azan Awais played a crucial unbeaten innings, scoring 56 runs, while skipper Saad Baig contributed a solid 50 runs. Mohammad Zeeshan remained unbeaten with 20 runs.
Nepal’s top order faced difficulties, with key players such as Tilak Bhandari, Akash Tripathi, and captain Dev Khanal struggling to make significant contributions.
Looking ahead, Nepal is scheduled to face Afghanistan on December 10th and India on December 12th in the ongoing tournament.
