KATHMANDU, April 30: Nepal’s batting woes were laid bare once again at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, as the home side continued to struggle for stability in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series.
Across matches against Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal’s batting unit has looked short of the patience and composure required in one-day cricket. Despite home advantage and vocal crowd support, Nepal slumped to a heavy defeat against Oman, while their win over the UAE did little to mask persistent frailties with the bat.
With both the top and middle order repeatedly collapsing, the team has been forced to lean heavily on one man—Dipendra Singh Airee.
On Wednesday, Nepal suffered a crushing 102-run defeat to Oman under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. Put into bat, Oman dominated from the outset, posting a commanding 305/8 in 50 overs.
Oman captain Jatinder Singh led the charge with a scintillating 130 off 96 balls, leaving Nepal’s bowlers with few answers.
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In response, Nepal’s chase of 306 never took off. The innings unraveled early, with opener Kushal Bhurtel dismissed for just one run in the second over. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and Nepal never looked settled.
Aasif Sheikh scored 19, while captain Rohit Kumar Paudel managed just 10 off 23 balls. By 15.3 overs, Nepal were reeling at 54/3. The middle order failed to recover, with Bhim Sharki scoring 28 and Basir Ahmed adding just one.
By 20.1 overs, Nepal had lost five wickets for 71 runs. Before rain interrupted play, Nepal were struggling at 155/7 in 36.5 overs.
After the match, senior player Sompal Kami admitted the team’s plan had failed. “We couldn’t bat as planned. We aimed to preserve wickets in the first 20 overs, but in trying to do so, we neither scored runs nor protected wickets under pressure,” he said.
Dipendra: Carrying fight alone
Amid repeated collapses, Dipendra Singh Airee has emerged as Nepal’s lone pillar.
Coming in at 71/5 against Oman, Airee scored a composed 60 off 62 balls, including seven fours and a six, helping Nepal avoid a complete collapse.
His importance was equally evident in the previous match against the UAE. Nepal were struggling at 90/5 in 20.3 overs before Airee steadied the innings with a fighting 75 off 90 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes.
That effort, along with a useful 22 from Karan KC, helped Nepal post a respectable 200 in 48.2 overs.
Although Nepal secured a 37-run victory, the batting concerns persisted. Aasif Sheikh fell for 7, Bhim Sharki scored 10, and captain Paudel was dismissed for just 2. Kushal Bhurtel (24) and Basir Ahmed (20) got starts but failed to convert them.
It was the bowlers who sealed the win, bundling out the UAE for 163 in 48.2 overs while chasing 201. Karan KC led with 4 for 19 in 9.2 overs, while Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane picked up two wickets each.
Captain Paudel acknowledged the shortcomings. “We didn’t bat well against the UAE. Our start, especially in the first 10 overs, was very poor,” he said.
Among the eight teams in League 2—a key pathway to qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup—Nepal currently sits seventh with 14 points.
Unless the batting unit finds form quickly, Nepal risks squandering home advantage and could face an uphill battle in their quest for World Cup qualification.
