Nepal secured a spot in the semi-finals of the ongoing ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman after defeating Hong Kong by 8 wickets.
The match, delayed due to rain in Muscat, Oman, was shortened to 18 overs. Nepal successfully chased down the target of 115 runs set by Hong Kong, reaching it in 12.2 overs with the loss of 2 wickets.
In Nepal’s victory, opener Aasif Sheikh played a blistering 40-run innings off 18 balls, including 3 fours and 3 sixes, while another opener Kushal Bhurtel contributed 32 runs off 19 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. Aasif’s innings also marked a milestone as he surpassed 1000 runs in his T20I career, becoming the fourth Nepali cricketer to achieve this feat after Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, and captain Rohit Kumar Poudel.
The explosive opening partnership between Bhurtel and Sheikh, which amassed 70 runs off 33 balls, laid the foundation for Nepal’s comfortable victory. Captain Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on 25 runs off 20 balls, supported by Sundeep Jora who scored 19 runs off 17 balls.
Yasim Murtaza and Ehsan Khan managed to take one wicket each for Hong Kong.
Earlier, Hong Kong lost the toss and opted to bat first. Opener Anshuman Rath top-scored with 34 runs off 26 balls, followed by captain Nizakat Khan with 12 runs and Zeeshan Ali with 14 runs. However, apart from Ehsan Khan’s 11 runs, no other batsman could reach double figures.
Hong Kong managed to hit only 1 six and 8 fours in their innings, struggling against Nepalese tight bowling and fielding. Abhinas Bohora claimed three wickets, supported by Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singh Airee who took two wickets each, while Karan KC contributed with one wicket. Nepal also executed two successful run outs during Hong Kong’s innings.
Interview with Rohit Paudel
