Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered a 73-run defeat against Afghanistan in its second match of the 2023 ACC U-19 Asia Cup at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Sunday.
Invited to bat first after losing the toss, Afghanistan posted a score of 261 runs, losing all wickets in 49.3 overs, thanks to Jamshid Zadran’s century. Chasing 262 runs for victory, Nepal collapsed for 188 runs in 40.1 overs, despite opener Arjun Kumal’s fighting 91 runs off 108 balls.
Nepal delivered a strong performance with the ball, reducing Afghanistan to 33-3 in just 6.2 overs. Openers Wafiullah Tarakhil and Khalid Naniwal scored 15 and 10 runs, respectively, and Akram Mohammadzai was out for a duck. However, Jamshid Zadran and Rahimullah added 50 runs for the fourth wicket in 76 balls to stabilize Afghanistan’s innings. Zadran retired out after scoring 106 runs off 152 balls, including eight fours, while Zurmati scored 35 runs off 65 balls. Numan Shah scored a quickfire 60 off 41 balls, and Khalel Ahmad scored 13 from eight balls. Other Afghan batters failed to reach double digits.
Hemant Dhami, Gulsan Jha, and Subash Bhandari each took two wickets for Nepal, while Aakash Chand and Dipesh Kandel took one wicket each.
Nepal had a poor start in the chase, losing opener Bipin Rawat for a duck. Arjun Kumal batted well but didn’t find support from the other end. He was the last man to be dismissed. Deepak Bohara, captain Dev Khanal, and Gulshan Jha all got starts but failed to convert. Bohora scored 15 from 13 balls, captain Khanal scored 24 runs playing 37 balls, and Gulshan Jha was out for 17 runs off 24 balls while attempting a big shot. Dipesh Kandel scored 11 runs. Three Nepali batsmen were out for a duck.
Faridoon Dawoodzai and Naseer Khan Maroofkhil took three wickets each for Afghanistan, while Mohammad Younus had two wickets to his name. Wahidullah Zadran and Khalel Ahmad contributed with two wickets each.
Nepal, which conceded a seven-wicket defeat against Pakistan on Friday, will play its next final group match against India on Tuesday.
