Kathmandu: Nepal has defeated the UAE in the match held today under Super Six of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and EAP Qualifier. In the match held in Al Amerat, Oman, Nepal defeated the UAE by a slim margin of 1 run.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Nepal decided to bat first after winning the toss and posted a total of 140 runs in the stipulated 20 overs at the loss of 6 wickets. Aarif Sheikh led the charge for Nepal with a half-century, scoring 51 runs off 47 balls. Opener Kushal Bhurtel added 28 runs in 26 balls, while captain Rohit Paudel contributed 20 runs in 19 balls. Kushal Mall chipped in with 10 runs from 11 balls. For the UAE, six bowlers managed to take one wicket each, managing to restrict Nepal to a modest total.
In their chase, the UAE fell short by just 1 run. Alishan Sharafu was the top scorer for the UAE with 58 runs from 40 balls, and Dhruv Parashar scored 32 runs in 18 balls, almost guiding the team to victory. Zahid Ali contributed 11 runs in 11 balls. Dipendra Singh Airee emerged as the standout bowler for Nepal, taking 3 wickets in 4 overs while conceding 22 runs. The UAE needed 10 runs in the final over to win the match but lost 3 crucial wickets, including 2 run-outs. Nepal’s Lalit Rajbansi, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, and Sandeep Lamichhane each took one wicket.
This victory places Nepal second in the Super Six points table, with 4 points from 2 matches, trailing Oman, which leads with an equal number of points but a better run rate. The UAE is in third position, followed by Japan, Samoa, and Qatar. Nepal will face Qatar in their next match tomorrow and Oman on Wednesday. The top two teams from the Super Six will qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka, from February to March 2026.