Nepal narrowly missed out on the title in the final of the quadrangular T20 series, falling to Kuwait by just 3 runs in a nail-biting finish on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 175 runs at Mission Road Ground, Nepal were bowled out for 171 in 19.3 overs, handing Kuwait their first-ever T20 victory over Nepal. The two teams had met twice before in the tournament, with Nepal comfortably winning both encounters. However, in the most crucial match, Nepal couldn’t maintain their dominance and were left to rue a missed opportunity.
Despite the defeat, Nepal’s lower-order fightback provided plenty of excitement for fans. Basir Ahamad played a sensational knock, scoring 80 runs off 43 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes. He was well supported by Nandan Yadav, who hammered 37 off just 14 deliveries, including 2 fours and 4 sixes. The duo added a game-changing 73 runs for the ninth wicket, almost steering Nepal to a memorable win.
With just 3 runs required from the final 3 balls, the match was within Nepal’s grasp. But Basir, trying to finish in style, was caught off the bowling of Clinto Anto, ending Nepal’s innings and sparking wild celebrations in the Kuwait camp.
Kuwait’s bowlers held their nerve in the death overs. Anudeep Chenthamara was the standout performer with figures of 3/18 from 2.3 overs. Yasin Patel and Naveenraj Rajendran chipped in with 2 wickets each, while Mohammad Aslam claimed one.
Earlier, Kuwait, after being put in to bat, posted 174/7 from their 20 overs. Opener Ravija Sandaruwan led the charge with a brilliant 63 off 36 balls, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes. Clinto Anto contributed 26 off 24 balls, while Usman Patel added a quick 23. Captain Mohammad Aslam remained unbeaten on 13.
For Nepal, Nandan Yadav and Sompal Kami picked up two wickets apiece. Karan KC and Kushal Bhurtel also claimed one wicket each.
Though Nepal couldn’t finish the tournament on a high, the performance of young players like Basir and Nandan provided a silver lining and reason for optimism moving forward.
