Nepal has secured a historic place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier with one game to spare.
In the first match of the ‘Super Three’ stage held on Sunday, Nepal defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by five wickets. With this victory, both Thailand and Nepal have qualified for the Global Qualifier from the Asia region.
Chasing a target of 115 runs set by the UAE at Terdthai Cricket Ground in Thailand, Nepal reached the target with three balls to spare, losing five wickets in the process.
Captain Indu Barma led from the front with an unbeaten 30 runs. Rubina Chhetry scored 23, Samjhana Khadka added 21, and Puja Mahato chipped in with 13 runs.
For UAE, Michelle Botha, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, and captain Esha Oza took one wicket each.
Earlier, invited to bat first after losing the toss, UAE posted 114 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Esha Oza top-scored with 39 runs, followed by Theertha Satish with 21, Heena Hotchandani with 20, and Lavanya Keny with 12 runs.
Manisha Upadhyay was the standout bowler for Nepal, taking 4 wickets. Kabita Kunwar took 2, while Rajmati Airee claimed 1 wicket.
Nepal will face Thailand in the final match of the tournament on Tuesday, which will be a mere formality as both teams have already advanced. This is the first time Nepal has qualified for the Global Qualifier, where 10 teams will compete for a spot in the Women’s T20 World Cup. The top 4 teams from the Global Qualifier will secure a place in the World Cup.