Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal has clinched the title of the SMS Friendship T20 Cup 2024 with an 18-run victory over the Gujarat team of India.
Batting first after winning the toss, Nepal scored 176 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Chasing 177 runs to lift the title, Gujarat was all out for 158 runs.
Nepal made a slow start with the bat as it lost opener Kushal Bhurtel with 21 runs on the board in the third ball of the fifth over. Bhurtel made 21 off 19 balls. The second wicket pair of Aasif Sheikh and Captain Rohit Poudel scored 77 runs. Aasif scored a run-a-ball 34 runs. Rohit scored 74 runs off 47 balls before he lost his wicket in the 19th over. Kushal Malla remained unbeaten at 31 runs off 13 balls.
Shane Patel, Tejash Patel, Jala Yuvraj Singh, and Jayamit Patel took a wicket each for Gujarat.
Although Gujarat made a very good start in the chase, adding 54 runs for the first wicket, Nepali bowlers took wickets at regular intervals after that to limit Gujarat to 158.
Captain Umang Kumar scored 40 for Gujarat, while Arya Desi scored 36, Rudra Patel struck 17 runs, and Jayamit Patel and Harsh Desai contributed 15 each.
Abinash Bohora took three wickets for Nepal. Likewise, Dipendra Singh Airee took two, and Karan KC and Kushal Malla had one wicket each to their names.
Nepal will now fly to Oman to participate in the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup. The T20 competition will serve as the final stage of qualification for the 2025 Asia Cup tournament.
The Premier Cup features 10 teams divided into two groups. Nepal is in Group A with Hong Kong, Malaysia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, while Bahrain, Cambodia, Kuwait, Oman, and UAE are in Group B.
Nepal is the defending champion of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
