When Pawan Sarraf got out attempting to cut Naren Saud’s short and spinning delivery away from him, one thought immediately came to mind: “Why did he do that? Unbelievable!” This was the exact line West Indies commentator Fazeer Mohammed used when Shannon Gabriel tried to whack Yasir Shah’s last delivery of the penultimate over, only to inside-edge it onto his stumps. That moment cost the West Indies the match as Pakistan won the Test series 2-1 in the Caribbean for the first time.
With 49 runs still to get, it seemed like Pawan Sarraf had left the unfinished task to the lower middle-order batters of Madhesh Province—against a formidable Army side featuring Sompal Kami, Shahab Alam, Basir Ahmad, Kushal Malla, and Aakash Chand. Enter Rupesh Singh. He played a stunning, unbeaten 38 off just 20 balls to take Madhesh Province home by three wickets. Earlier, he had also contributed with the ball, taking 2/39 from his seven overs. This was no fluke. Just last year, he produced an even better performance against APF, smashing an unbeaten run-a-ball 72 (alongside a three-wicket haul) to help Madhesh chase 247 at the TU ground in the PM Cup. Madhesh Province finished fourth ahead of APF and went on to play the Jay Trophy, while APF bitterly missed a golden chance to participate in the two-day red-ball tournament.
Only thrice this season has a team successfully chased a 200-plus target. Kiran Thagunna hit a rare second-innings century as Sudur Paschim comfortably chased 221 against Gandaki. Five days later, Trit Raj Das replicated the feat with a brilliant 112 off 139 balls in Army’s seven-wicket victory over Koshi while chasing 231.
Chasing is never easy in cricket, especially when the game is on the line. It also depends on the pitch at a particular venue. Given Nepal’s historical struggles with batting, 200-plus chases remain infrequent in both domestic and international cricket. Nepal has successfully chased 190 or more runs only 16 times out of 38 attempts in List A matches. That record has been boosted recently by better pitches at TU ground and some unbelievable run chases during Nepal’s incredible comeback in the 2023 home season, where they chased 270-plus totals in three consecutive matches—something Nepal has not done before or since.
Now, coming back to the domestic circuit, 250-plus run chases have been few and far between. I have compiled data from 2010 onward, covering the Pepsi Standard Chartered National One-Day Cricket (2010–2015) and the PM Cup (2017 onward). For accuracy, I have excluded 11 rain-affected or shortened matches but included one 49-over contest. Out of 126 instances where a team has posted a 200-plus target, only 21 times has the chasing team succeeded. Eight of those successful chases came from departmental teams. Among non-departmental sides, only Birgunj (three times) and Madhesh (twice)—essentially the same team—have multiple successful chases. Seven of these cases occurred in knockout matches (semi-finals or finals), all at TU ground.
Among unsuccessful chases, only three times has a team come close. Just two days ago, Karnali fell five runs short while chasing 206 against Gandaki. Army lost by six runs while chasing 241 against APF in 2021. In 2010, Birgunj edged out Baitadi by six runs at Pulchowk while chasing 212.
Breakdown of Target Chases in National One-Dayers Since 2010 (excluding MM Cup 2020)
Records chasing in Men’s Prime Minister Cup (One-dayers)
In men’s PM Cup One-Dayers, once a team posts 250 or more, their winning chance is an astounding 98.3%. To ensure accuracy, I have excluded matches where a team posted over 250 but the second innings was later reduced due to rain or a wet outfield. Only once has a side successfully chased 300-plus in national one-dayers since 2010. Army remarkably chased 305 against NPC in the semi-final of the 2022 PM Cup, winning by two wickets with a ball to spare. Rohit Paudel’s better-than-a-run-a-ball knock (89 off 87) and Hari Chauhan’s 75 overshadowed Airee’s brilliant 140 off 125 balls, which had been well supported by Aarif’s 91.
One cannot simply blame the pitch when only one out of 61 attempts at chasing 250-plus totals has been successful. There is a clear lack of application and belief in chasing. Even as pitches have improved post-COVID at TU ground—arguably Nepal’s best batting venue—teams have still struggled to chase. Conditions have indeed been more challenging at newer venues like Extra Tech Oval in Bhairahawa and Lamhi. However, the pitch used for the match between Bagmati and NPC (at Extra Tech) was decent, as NPC posted the season’s highest total (297/8). Bagmati, at one stage, was well-placed at 112/2 in 21 overs but still crumbled to 204 all out in 45.2 overs.
The inability of teams to chase totals has made domestic one-dayers somewhat predictable and, at times, boring. The second half of the match often lacks resistance. This raises the question of how the Army managed their miraculous chase in 2022. A better pitch? Yes. A good team? Yes. But let’s not forget they were up against an equally strong NPC side in a high-pressure semi-final. Nepal needs more of these successful run chases if they are to become a formidable team, as domestic performances inevitably influence results at the international level.
[Just a timely reminder: Nepal suffered a crushing 103-run defeat while chasing 254 against Canada last year, getting bowled out for 150 in 40.1 overs. Soon after, they lost by 37 runs chasing 282 against the USA in Dallas.]
