Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered its second defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifier, succumbing to a 101-run loss against two-time world champions, West Indies, in Harare on Thursday.
Batting first after losing the toss, West Indies scored 339 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Chasing 340 to win, Nepal was all out for 238 runs in 49.4 overs.
West Indies faced an early setback when Karan KC had opener Kyle Mayers caught by Kushal Bhurtel in the second over of the game. The Caribbean side lost its second wicket in the fifth over when Johnson Charles was stumped by Aasif Sheikh off Gulshan Jha’s bowling. Sandeep Lamichhane bowled opener Brandon King, reducing West Indies to 55-3. However, Captain Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran turned the tide in West Indies’ favor with brilliant centuries. Hope scored 132 runs off 129 balls, while Pooran smashed a quickfire 115 from 94 balls. Rovman Powell added 29 runs from 14 balls before he was caught by Gulshan Jha off Lalit Rajbanshi’s bowling. King scored 32 runs off 42 balls.
Lalit Rajbanshi took three wickets for Nepal, while Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Dipendra Singh Airee claimed one wicket each.
Aarif Sheikh top-scored for Nepal with 63 runs from 93 balls, while Gulshan Jha contributed 42 runs from 58 balls.
Chasing 340 to win, Nepal got off to a disastrous start, losing opener Kushal Bhurtel for just five runs in the second over. Bhim Sarki fell in the fifth over scoring just two runs. Aasif Sheikh and Rohit Poudel attempted to revive Nepal’s innings, scoring 28 runs and 30 runs respectively. However, Nepal struggled to build partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Aarif Sheikh top-scored for Nepal with 63 runs from 93 balls, while Gulshan Jha contributed 42 runs from 58 balls. Batting at No. 9, Karan KC scored 28 runs from 27 balls which included four fours and one six.
Jason Holder took three wickets for West Indies, while Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, and Akeal Hosein each claimed two wickets. Kyle Mayers chipped in with one wicket.
What next for Nepal?
Nepal’s next match is against the Netherlands. If Nepal fails to defeat the Netherlands in the upcoming match, its hopes of advancing to the Super Six stage will come to an end.
However, a victory against the Netherlands, coupled with the European side’s loss to West Indies, will be sufficient for Nepal to qualify for the Super Six stage.
