Nepal defeats Saudi Arabia by six wickets in final group game

KATHMANDU: Nepal finished the group stage of the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup winning all four games.

In its final group game played at Al Amarat, Oman, on Wednesday, Nepal defeated Saudi Arabia by six wickets. Batting first in the match reduced to eight overs due to the wet outfield, Saudi Arabia scored 73 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Nepal achieved the target, losing four wickets with four balls to spare.

Saudi Arabia’s defeat ensured Hong Kong qualified for the semifinals. Although Hong Kong and Qatar both have four points, Hong Kong has a better run rate of -0.128 compared to Qatar’s -0.453. A victory over Nepal would have qualified Saudi Arabia for the semifinals.

Abdul Waheed top-scored for Saudi Arabia with a 16-ball 37. Other Saudi Arabian batters failed to reach double digits.

Karan KC and Abinash Bohara took two wickets each for Nepal, while Lalit Rajbanshi and Patis GC each had a wicket to their names.

Chasing 74 runs for victory, Nepal lost its top three batters for just 15 runs. Kushal Bhurtel was out for a duck, while Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Malla scored two each. Gulsan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee resurrected Nepal’s innings. Airee scored 17 off nine balls, while Jha scored an unbeaten 32 from 19 balls. Captain Rohit Paudel stayed not out at 16 runs off seven balls.

Ishtiaq Ahmad took two wickets for Saudi Arabia, while Usman Najeeb and Waji Ul Hassan contributed with one wicket each.

Nepal will meet the second-placed team of Group B in the semifinal.