In the ongoing ACC Premier Cup in Oman, Nepal defeated Saudi Arabia and reached the semi-finals undefeated.
In the match in Oman, Nepal won by 6 wickets and managed to make it to the semi-finals undefeated.
Nepal achieved the target of 74 runs given by Saudi by losing 4 wickets in 7.2 overs.
For Nepal, Gulsan Jha scored 32 unbeaten runs in 19 balls with the help of 1 four and 3 sixes. Dipendra Singh Airee scored 17 runs in 9 balls with the help of 3 fours. Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel scored 16 unbeaten runs in 7 balls with the help of 1 four and 1 six.
For the fifth wicket, Jha and Poudel shared an unbeaten 27 runs to make Nepal victorious.
Nepal got off to a bad start by losing opener Kushal Bhurtel in the second ball of the over. In the second ball of the second over, another opener Aasif Sheikh got out after scoring 2 runs, Nepal was in more trouble.
Nepal lost Kushal Malla in the second ball of the third over. Jha and Airee shared 33 runs for the fourth wicket and took Nepal to a comfortable position.
For Saudi, Ishtiaq Ahmad took two wickets and Waji ul Haasan and Usman Najeeb took one wicket each.
Before that, Saudi Arabia, who lost the toss and batted first, made 74 runs by losing 6 wickets in the scheduled 8 overs. The match was shortened to 8 overs when the match started late due to rain overnight.
For Saudi Arabia, Abdul Waheed scored 37 runs in 16 balls with the help of 3 fours and 3 sixes. Other Saudi batsmen could not score runs in double figures.
For Nepal, Abhinash Bohora and Karan KC took two wickets each and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Pratish GC took one wicket each.
With this victory, Nepal solidified their spot in the semi-finals as the winners of Group A and are set to face UAE in the upcoming clash. UAE, securing their semi-final berth as the runner-up of Group B, emerged victorious against Cambodia in their final group stage match.
The semi-final matchups have been set, with Nepal locking horns with UAE, while Oman, the winners of Group B Oman, will face Hong Kong, the runner-up of Group A. Both semi-final showdowns are scheduled for Friday, with the winners advancing to the final on Sunday. The ultimate victor of the final will earn qualification for the prestigious Asia Cup 2025.
Nepal, defending champions of the tournament, are determined to replicate their previous success and secure their ticket to the Asia Cup once again, following their triumphant campaign last year, where they clinched victory over UAE to claim the Premier Cup championship.
