Nepal secures Asia Cup berth with 7-wicket victory over UAE

In a thrilling finale at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur today, Nepal defeated UAE by 7 wickets in the final match of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. With this win, Nepal has secured a place in the upcoming Asia Cup to be held in September.

Nepal will now join India and Pakistan in the group stage of the Asia Cup. In today’s match, Nepal chased down the target of 118 runs given by UAE with ease, losing only 3 wickets in 30.3 overs. Gulsan Jha was the hero of the day for Nepal, scoring an unbeaten 67 runs, while Bhim Sarki remained not out on 36 runs. The duo shared a crucial partnership of 96 runs for the fourth wicket.

Earlier, UAE were bowled out for a meager total of 117 runs in 33.1 overs after losing the toss and being invited to bat first. Nepal’s Lalit Rajwanshi led the bowling attack, taking 4 wickets for just 14 runs. Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane also contributed with 2 wickets each, while Sompal Kami and Gulsan Jha chipped in with a wicket each.

The match was interrupted due to rain on the reserve day, which was Monday, and resumed today at 9 am. UAE had scored 106 runs at the loss of 9 wickets before the interruption.

After this historic win, Nepal will be playing in the Asia Cup for the first time and will be aiming to make their mark on the international cricketing stage.