In the final match of the ongoing triangular T20 series in Canada, Nepal defeated Oman. The match, held on Wednesday night in King City, Canada, saw Nepal secure a 56-run victory.
Chasing a target of 158 runs set by Nepal, Oman was bowled out for 101 runs in 19.5 overs. Oman’s Zeeshan Maqsood top-scored with 35, Aqib Ilyas added 22, and Pratik Athavale contributed 12 runs.
Nepal’s bowling was led by leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel, who took the most wickets with 3, conceding just 10 runs in 1.5 overs. Left-arm fast bowler Rijan Dhakal (2-0-17-2), Sandeep Lamichhane (4-0-12-2), and captain Rohit Paudel (1-0-7-2) also claimed two wickets each.
Rijan Dhakal gave Nepal a strong start by dismissing Kashyap Prajapati and Shoaib Khan, putting Oman under pressure from the beginning. Aqib Ilyas and Zeeshan Maqsood managed a 40-run partnership for the third wicket, but Sandeep Lamichhane broke the stand by catching Ilyas out on the last ball of the ninth over, bringing Nepal back into the game. Dipendra Airee’s direct throw resulted in the run-out of Khalid Kail, causing further trouble for Oman. Captain Rohit Paudel took the wickets of Zeeshan Maqsood and Rafiullah on the first and third balls of the 13th over, tilting the match in Nepal’s favor. Sandeep then dismissed Ayaan Khan for his second wicket, and Kushal Bhurtel took the final three wickets to end Oman’s innings.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being put in to bat, Nepal posted a total of 157 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Captain Rohit Paudel led the way for Nepal with his seventh T20 international half-century, remaining unbeaten on 56 runs off 44 balls, including 2 fours and 4 sixes. Aside from Rohit, none of the other Nepalese batsmen made significant contributions. Kushal Malla scored 19 runs off 26 balls with 1 six, while Dev Khanal, playing in only his third T20 international, made 18 runs from 18 balls, including 3 fours. Opener Aasif Sheikh scored 16 runs from 14 balls with 1 four and 1 six, while Anil Shah hit 11 runs off 5 balls with 1 four and 1 six. Kushal Bhurtel, batting at number eight, added 11 runs from 4 balls, including 1 four and 1 six. Gulshan Jha scored 2 runs, and Dipendra Singh Airee was dismissed for just 1.
At one stage, Nepal was struggling at 55 for 3, but Rohit steadied the innings with a 45-run partnership with Kushal Malla. Even after Malla’s dismissal in the 15th over, Rohit batted through the innings to help Nepal post a competitive total.
For Oman, Fayyaz Butt was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs. Kaleemullah, Shakeel Ahmed, and Aqib Ilyas picked up 1 wicket each.
In the previous match of the series, Nepal had also defeated Oman by 37 runs. However, Nepal lost both of its games against the host team Canada, suffering a 14-run defeat in the first game and a 4-wicket loss in the second.
Upcoming Schedule for Nepal:
Following the triangular series in the ICC World Cup League-2 and T20 International series, the Nepalese cricket team will tour the USA, where they are scheduled to play a three-match T20 International series against the USA. The matches are scheduled for Friday, October 18, Sunday, October 20, and Monday, October 21, all starting at 5:45 AM Nepal time.
After the T20 series, Nepal will participate in a triangular One-Day International series under the World Cup League-2, competing against the USA and Scotland. Nepal’s first match in the series will be against the USA on October 27, followed by a match against Scotland on October 29. They will then play the USA again on November 2 and Scotland on November 4 before returning home.
