Nepal’s U-19 Cricket Team Shines with Big Win Over Iran

Nepal’s U-19 cricket team kicked off their campaign in the ACC U-19 Premier Cup in Malaysia with a resounding win over Iran. Led by an exceptional performance from their captain, Dev Khanal, the Nepalese team set a formidable target of 354 runs, eventually defeating Iran by a remarkable margin of 274 runs.

Captain Dev Khanal emerged as the star of the match, delivering a record-breaking century against Iran. Khanal’s century, scored off just 60 balls, included an impressive 12 fours and 4 sixes. This monumental achievement marked Khanal as the first U-19 player to score two centuries. His previous century, a phenomenal 125 runs, was recorded against Kuwait in the ICC U19 World Cup Asia Zone Qualifier last February.

Nepal’s innings saw a strong partnership between Captain Khanal and Deepak Bohora, who added a remarkable 166 runs off 98 balls. Deepak Bohora contributed 65 runs from 59 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes, while wicketkeeper Deepak Prasad Dumre scored 69 runs, further cementing Nepal’s imposing total.

However, it was Nepal’s bowling attack that truly shone, with Dipesh Kandel and Subhas Bhandari claiming 3 wickets each, restricting Iran to a mere 79 runs in 30.5 overs. Bhandari’s performance was especially noteworthy, taking 3 wickets in 8.5 overs while conceding only 6 runs, and Dipesh Kandel securing 3 wickets in 7 overs while giving away just 4 runs. Akash Chand and Hemant Dhami also made significant contributions, taking 2 wickets each.

Iran’s highest scorer, wicketkeeper Amer Khorsand, managed to accumulate just 37 runs, while Saver Ebrahimipour remained not out with 11 runs. Notably, no other Iranian batsman could achieve a double-digit score.

Despite losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Nepal put up a remarkable total of 353 runs before getting bowled out in 40.1 overs. The team’s stellar performance against Iran has set the stage for an exciting journey in the ACC U-19 Premier Cup.

Nepal’s next challenge in the group stage will be against Bahrain, scheduled for Sunday, as they strive to maintain their winning streak and continue their impressive run in the tournament.