Nepal thrash Saudi Arabia by eight wickets in ACC Men’s U-19 Premier Cup

KATHMANDU: Nepal opened their 2025 ACC Men’s U-19 Premier Cup campaign with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Saudi Arabia in Ajman, UAE, on Tuesday.

Asked to bowl first, Nepal restricted Saudi Arabia to 218/9 in the allotted 50 overs. Mohammad Zuber Sansara top-scored with 48, while Mohammad Rehan Siddiqui (41), Omair Ahmed Wahab (39), Majdi (25) and Hashir Ahmad Sajjad (16) chipped in with useful contributions. The rest of the batting lineup failed to reach double figures.
For Nepal, Ashok Dhami claimed two wickets, while Dayanand Mandal, Sushil Bahadur Rawal, Cibrin Shrestha and Darsh Sonar took a wicket apiece.

In reply, Nepal cruised to the target in just 30.4 overs, riding on a blistering century from opener Niraj Kumar Yadav. Yadav smashed 114 off 90 balls, hitting 15 fours and a six. He shared a 63-run opening stand with Vansh Chhetri (30) before adding another crucial partnership with Nischal Chhetri, who remained unbeaten on 66 off 73 deliveries.

Nepal will face Hong Kong in their next group-stage match. The Premier Cup features 14 participating teams.