Three days ago, the UAE thumped Kuwait by 184 runs, leaving Nepal’s chances of making the World Cup looking bleak. At that stage, Nepal had won two matches and lost one. They had posted 139/9 in the next game, securing a 106-run victory, yet they remained far from challenging UAE for the top spot.
To stay in contention, Nepal needed a big win against Kuwait before their final match against UAE. Puja Mahato smashed a brilliant century as Nepal posted 213/2, keeping their World Cup hopes alive. They eventually secured a 165-run win over Kuwait. Meanwhile, the UAE won their fourth consecutive game with ease, defeating Thailand by nine wickets. This meant that for Nepal to qualify, they needed to win against UAE either by a margin of 21 runs or by chasing down (say target of 141) in 16.1 overs. While difficult, it was not impossible — some would say Nepal had an outside chance.
UAE won the toss and opted to bat. At this stage, betting against UAE seemed unwise, especially after they had previously beaten Nepal by 13 runs in a match where Nepal was chasing 123. UAE started cautiously as they reached 50/2 in 11 overs, and anything near 120 would have still posed a challenge for Nepal. However, the game turned when UAE slipped from 59/2 to 79/9, thanks to the Nepali bowlers, led by Krishma Gurung, who took four wickets including three in an over.
With a target of 84, Nepal had a reachable goal. However, Nepal’s batting has historically been inconsistent, so nothing was certain. To finish above UAE in the points table, Nepal needed to chase down 84 within 16.2 overs.
After 18-run opening stand, Skipper Puja Mahato joined Sana Praveen in the middle. She started confidently and took Nepal to 48/2 in 7 overs before departing. With 36 runs still required, Nepal had 9.2 overs left. The Nepal captain contributed a crucial 21 off 18 balls, finishing the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 272 runs and 10 wickets with her medium pace.
Opener Sana Praveen, who had struggled in their previous match against UAE, saw Nepal over the line with an unbeaten 35 off 42 balls. Nepal won by eight wickets, exorcising the ghost of their eight-run all-out collapse against the same UAE side two years prior.
Sana Praveen (and Alisha Yadav), who had both bagged golden ducks in that infamous match, played a key role today, while Sneha Mahara cheered from the dugout. After 17 years since Nepal began its women’s cricket journey, they will finally feature in the World Cup although at the U-19 level. This achievement is a proud moment for pioneering cricketers like Nary Thapa and Sita Rana Magar, who once dreamed of representing Nepal on the world stage.
