KATHMANDU, Dec 3: Nepal's U19 cricket team pulled off a dramatic one-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their final group match of the U19 Asia Cup in Sharjah, UAE.
Afghanistan, after opting to bat first, were bowled out for a modest 124 runs. Nepal's bowlers were in fine form, with Unish Thakuri and Santosh Yadav each taking three wickets. Captain Hemant Dhami and Abhishek Tiwari also contributed with two wickets each.
Nepal begins Women's U19 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers with a c...
In reply, Nepal faced early challenges and was reduced to 84 for 8. However, a resilient partnership between captain Dhami (22 not out) and Naren Saud (26) helped Nepal inch closer to the target. The pair put together a crucial 31-run stand for the ninth wicket, bringing their team back into contention.
Dhami remained unbeaten as Nepal successfully reached the target in 41.3 overs, with key contributions from Arjun Kumal (21), Tiwari (13), and Akash Tripathi (9). Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar and Khatir Stanikzai each claimed three wickets.
Despite the thrilling win, Nepal will not progress to the knockout stages, as they had earlier lost their opening matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
