Nepal suffered a 106-run defeat against the USA in the opening match of the UAE tri-series, which is part of the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2, held in Dubai.
Chasing a target of 263 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Nepal were bowled out for 156 runs in 39.1 overs.
Dipendra Singh Airee top-scored for Nepal with 40 runs, while Aasif Sheikh made 37, Bhim Sharki contributed 29, and Sompal Kami added 11 runs. No other batter managed to reach double figures.
For the USA, Harmeet Singh starred with the ball, taking six wickets. Shubham Ranjane picked up two wickets, while Rishabh Urankar claimed one.
Harmeet Singh’s Record-Breaking Spell
Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh delivered a historic bowling performance, taking 6 wickets for 27 runs in 8.1 overs — the best bowling figures ever by any bowler against Nepal in international cricket. He also became the first player to claim six wickets in an international match against Nepal.
Previously, no bowler had managed to take more than five wickets against Nepal in international cricket. Interestingly, Harmeet had represented Sudurpaschim Royals in last season’s Nepal Premier League (NPL).
Earlier, put in to bat first after losing the toss, the USA posted 262/6 in their allotted 50 overs.
Smit Patel and Milind Kumar were the main contributors with the bat. Patel scored 75 off 100 balls with nine fours, while Milind remained unbeaten on 70 off 50 deliveries.
Nepal started strongly with disciplined bowling in the first 10 overs but allowed the USA to build momentum as the innings progressed.
For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets, while Sompal Kami, Aarif Sheikh, and Dipendra Singh Airee grabbed one wicket each.
The ongoing tri-series features Nepal, USA, and UAE. After this defeat, Nepal remain seventh in the League-2 standings with 12 points from 17 matches. The USA climbed to the top with 30 points from 21 games, level with Scotland but ahead on most number of wins.
In League-2, each of the eight participating nations will play a total of nine tri-series (36 matches). The top four teams at the end of the competition will qualify directly for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier.