Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal advanced to the final of the 2026 Asian Games Men’s Qualifier with an eight-wicket victory over Oman in the first semifinal in Singapore on Sunday.
After losing the toss and being asked to field first, Nepal restricted Oman, who were missing most of their first-team regulars, to 94 runs. Nepal chased down the 95-run target for the loss of two wickets in just 9.2 overs.
Oman made a poor start as their top three batters managed only nine runs between them. Opener Mohammad Al Balushi scored 9, while fellow opener Shuaib Al Balushi and Nawed Al Balushi were dismissed for ducks. Captain Sufyan Mehmood top-scored with 38 off 41 balls, while Zubair Al Balushi contributed 22 off 14 balls to lend some respectability to the total. Abdul Junaid added 16 runs. Other Omani batters reached double figures.
Karan KC claimed three wickets for Nepal, while Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets each. Shahab Alam, Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee chipped in with one wicket apiece.
In reply, Nepal lost opener Aasif Sheikh for 1, while Kushal Bhurtel scored 20 off just 8 balls. However, Lokesh Bam struck an unbeaten 44 off 26 deliveries, and captain Rohit Paudel added an unbeaten 21 off 20 balls as Nepal cruised to victory with 64 balls to spare.
Sameer Othman took both wickets for Oman.
Nepal will face the winner of the second semifinal between Hong Kong and Malaysia in the final on Monday.
