Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal made a winning start in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East–Asia Pacific Qualifier, defeating Kuwait by 58 runs in their opening Group ‘B’ match at the Oman Cricket Ground in Al Amerat on Thursday.
Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal posted a competitive total of 141 for 7 in 20 overs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel anchored the innings with a superb 66 off 56 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes. All-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee added 20 runs from 19 deliveries, while skipper Rohit Paudel chipped in with 16. Gulsan Jha provided late fireworks, smashing three sixes in one over to help lift Nepal past the 140-mark after they were struggling to reach even 110.
For Kuwait, Naveenraj Rajendran and Anudeep Chenthamara took two wickets each, while Muhammad Akiq Farooq claimed one.
In reply, Kuwait were bowled out for just 83 runs in 18.1 overs. Opener Clinto Anto top-scored with 26 runs off 23 balls, while Yasin Patel and Meet Bhavsar added 19 and 11, respectively. No other Kuwaiti batter reached double figures.
Lalit Rajbanshi, Rohit Paudel and Sandeep Lamichhane claimed two wickets each for Nepal, while Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav and Kushal Bhurtel took one apiece.
With this victory, Nepal have taken a firm step towards qualifying for the Super Six stage. They will face Japan in their second group match on Friday.
