Nepal’s defeat to the UAE in the second edition of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman has cost them a spot in the Asia Cup 2025. The UAE secured a place in the semi-finals by narrowly defeating Nepal by Six wicket in Muscat, Oman.
UAE successfully chased Nepal’s target of 120 runs, reaching it with just four wickets down in 17 overs.
Alisan Sharfu was the star performer for UAE, scoring a half-century with 55 runs off 41 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Vishnu Sukumaran contributed 28 runs off 28 balls, while Asif Khan added 10 runs in just six balls, hitting one six.
Nepal’s bowling effort saw Gulsan Jha taking two wickets, with Lalit Narayan RajBanshi and Sompal Kami each claiming one wicket.
Earlier, Nepal batted first after losing the toss but could only manage to score 119 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Sandeep Jora stood out as Nepal’s top scorer, achieving a half-century by scoring 50 runs from 40 deliveries, comprising four boundaries and two sixes. Nevertheless, Nepal faced challenges with their top-order batsmen, as Kushal Bhurtel fell victim to Omid Rahman on the very first ball of the innings. Opening batsman Aasif Shaikh contributed eight runs before being dismissed lbw by Omid Rahman, while captain Rohit Kumar Paudel managed only five runs from 18 deliveries.
Gulsan Jha accumulated 20 runs from 16 deliveries, striking one four and one six. Karan KC contributed 17 runs, hitting two sixes in just 12 balls. Kushal Malla was dismissed after scoring three runs, while Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami managed five and two runs respectively before departing.
UAE’s bowling attack was led by Basil Hameed and Junaid Siddique, who took two wickets each, supported by Aayan Khan, Omid Rahman, Ali Naseer, and Muhammad Farooq, who claimed one wicket each.
As the defending champion of the tournament, Nepal will now face the loser of the other semi-final for the third-place match on Saturday. The second semi-final will feature a match between Hong Kong and Oman today.
