Nepal secured an impressive victory over Thailand in the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, currently taking place in the UAE.
On Sunday, in Ajman, UAE, Nepal defeated Thailand by a dominant margin of 106 runs.
Chasing a target of 140 set by Nepal, Thailand collapsed at 33 runs in 16 overs.
Nepal’s exceptional bowling performance restricted Thailand, with none of their batters reaching double digits and six players failing to score.
Kusum Godar led Nepal’s bowling with 3 wickets, while Riya Sharma and Rachana Chaudhary each took 2 wickets, and captain Puja Mahato contributed with 1 wicket.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, Nepal posted 139 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Opener Sana Praveen was Nepal’s top scorer, making 53 runs off 46 balls, including 7 boundaries. This was also the first half-century for Nepal in the tournament.
Another opener, Sabitri Dhami, scored 28 off 36 balls, while Sony Pakhrin added a quick 19 off 10 balls. Other batters struggled to reach double figures.
In their previous matches, Nepal defeated Thailand by 67 runs and Kuwait by 108 runs but fell short against the UAE, losing by 13 runs.
With today’s win, Nepal remains in second place on the points table with 3 wins and 1 loss from 4 matches, accumulating a total of 6 points. The UAE, with a flawless record of 4 wins in 4 matches, leads the table with 8 points. Thailand is in third place with 2 points from 1 win in 4 matches, while Kuwait, after four consecutive losses, is in fourth place.
To qualify for the U-19 World Cup, set to be held in Malaysia next year, Nepal must win its remaining matches and hope for a UAE loss. Nepal is scheduled to play its fifth match against Kuwait on Tuesday, followed by the sixth and final match against the host UAE on Wednesday.
The tournament, which runs until November 13, features teams from Nepal, the host UAE, Kuwait, and Thailand.
