Nepal Secures Victory Over Singapore by Eight Wickets

In a thrilling encounter at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Nepal emerged victorious as they defeated Singapore by eight wickets during the ongoing T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier on Monday.

Singapore won the toss and chose to bat first, setting a target of 146 runs for the hosts. Rohan Rangarajan was the top scorer for Singapore, contributing 46 runs off 30 deliveries. However, Singapore’s innings got off to a rocky start, with captain Aritra Dutta being dismissed for a duck on just the second delivery of the innings. The top-order batsmen, Surendra Chandramohan and Amartya Kaul, also fell cheaply, managing only 6 and 0 runs, respectively.

Aryaveer Chaudhry played a vital role in boosting Singapore’s total with his 37 runs, including five boundaries. Wicketkeeper Manpreet Singh added 24 runs, and Akshay Puri made an unbeaten 13 to set a target of 146 runs for Nepal.

Nepal’s bowlers put in a commendable effort, with Avinash Bohara leading the charge by taking three wickets. Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Gulsan Jha each picked up two wickets to restrict the Singaporean batting lineup.

Chasing the target, Nepal’s opener Kushal Bhurtel was the star of the show, smashing eight fours and two sixes during his 48-ball innings, accumulating 74 crucial runs. Bhurtel formed an impressive 84-run partnership with wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh, who contributed 27 runs with two boundaries and a six before being dismissed by Akshay Puri in the 9th over.

Bhurtel continued to shine, forming another crucial partnership with captain Rohit Paudel. He was eventually caught by Thilipan Omaidurai off Anantha Krishna’s delivery in the 16th over.

Captain Rohit Paudel played a captain’s knock, remaining unbeaten on 35 runs off 24 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Kushal Malla added an unbeaten six from his only delivery, helping Nepal reach the target in 16.3 overs. The victory marked an excellent performance by the Nepalese team, keeping their hopes alive in the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier.