Nepal scored 144/8 after electing to bat first at the Nehru Cricket Stadium in Ghaziabad as the batsmen came up with an improved performance. Needing 145 to win, the local team was bowled out for 89 in 17.4 overs.[break]
The opening pair of Mahesh Chhetri (22) and Pradeep Aire (39) shared a 59-run stand for the first wicket before Airee was trapped leg before wicket in 7.6 overs. Airee, the topscorer for Nepal, hit 39 runs off 33 balls with eight boundaries. Chhetri was stumped in the last ball of the 11th over after scoring 22 off 26 balls.
Nepal suffered a mini-collapse in the middle after skipper Paras Khadka was out for seven in 13.2 overs as Rahul Bishwakarma (24 off 22), Binod Bhandari (0) and Sharad Vesawkar (1) fell in quick succession. However, Gyanendra Malla hit a quickfire 32 off 23 with four boundaries to guide Nepal to 144 before being dismissed in the final ball of the innings. Anil Mandal scored three runs and Shakti Gauchan remained unbeaten on seven.
Asif Mansuri claimed four wickets, Gaurav Tomar and Sanjeev Singh took two each and Akshay Chaudhary picked up one wicket for the Ghaziabad team.
In the run-chase, opener Aadil Raza (22), skipper Gaurav Tomar (17), Shivendra Paul (11) and Nandu Tyagi (11) were the only batsmen of DCA, Ghaziabad to reach double figures.
Nepal´s Avinash Karn bagged three wickets while Jitendra Mukhiya and Rahul Bishwakarma pocketed two wickets each. Gauchan and Khadka took one wicket each.
Nepal plays its next match against Invitational XI at the Bharatnagar Academy ground on Tuesday.
Nepal is in the Indian capital to prepare for the World T20 Qualifiers to be held from November 15 to 30 in the United Arab Emirates. Nepal is pitted against Afghanistan, Scotland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Bermuda and Denmark in Group B of the qualifiers.
The top six teams of the qualifiers will progress to the World T20 to be held in Bangladesh next year.
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