Nepal lose to Afghanistan by 73 runs

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 11: Afghanistan defeated Nepal by 73 runs in the Men’s U-19 Asia Cup 2023 at ICC Academy Ground No 2 in Dubai on Sunday.

Nepal, who decided to field first, started the match with two changes. Tilak Raj Bhandari and Bishal Bikram KC, who played in the first match of the campaign against Pakistan, were replaced by Hemant Dhami and Deepak Bohora.

Nepal pressured Afghanistan with early wickets; however, the middle-order batsmen alongside Jamshid Zadran, who came after the fall of the first wicket, took Afghanistan to a decent total of 262. 

Jamshid also managed to hit a century before getting retired hurt. He played 152 balls and scored 106 runs with eight fours. The first three wickets of Afghanistan fell by the seventh over. Wafiullah Tarakhil got caught in the bowl of Gulshan Jha in 1.5 overs after scoring 15 off nine balls. 

It was Hemant Dhami, one of the replaced players, who took two consecutive wickets in the seventh over. Khalid Taniwal (11-ball 10), another opener for Afghanistan, got caught by Jha in the second ball of the seventh over by Dhami. 

Dhami was on a hat-trick when he bowled Akram Mohammadzai, who came after Taniwal, for a golden duck. However, he could not take the third wicket.

While the first three wickets fell in quick successions, Jamshid took Afghanistan steadily with the support of middle-order batsmen. For the fourth wicket, Rahimullah Zurmati and Jamshid made a partnership of 81 runs off 135 balls before Rahimullah (35 off 65 balls) was caught brilliantly by Subash Bhandari in the ball of Dipesh Kandel in the 28th over. 

While Nepal struggled to break the fourth wicket partnership, it was more difficult to stop the fifth wicket partnership. Jamshid, who had already reached his 50, started taking singles and giving strikes to the new batsman Numan Shah. 

Numan got to his fifty in the 41st over after hitting five fours and two sixes in 38 balls. When Numan got to his 50, he had made a partnership of 88 runs from 78 balls with Jamshid. 

Subas Bhandari took his first wicket of the game and broke the partnership by making Numan caught by Kandel at the 42nd over leaving Afghanistan at 211-5. 

Yet, Jamshid was still on the crease and he helped take the target further. Jamshid completed his century with an injured leg. The final five batsmen were only able to add 19 runs for Afghanistan. 

Faridoon Dawoodzai was the final wicket and was taken by Jha. With Jamshid retired hurt, Afghanistan concluded their innings in 49.3 overs with the fall of their ninth wicket.

While Nepal was expected to give a challenge to Afghanistan bowlers in the run chase, it was the other way around. The gloves of Numan Shah, Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper, alone showed five Nepali batters the way back to the pavilion. Only opener Arjun Kumal was able to put up a strong fight throughout the innings. 

Nepal’s other opener Bipin Rawal (0) was caught behind the stumps by Numan in the bowl of Fariddon Dawoodzai in the first over. Deepak Bohora (13-ball 15) also got out similarly in the bowl of Dawoodzai in the seventh over. 

Nepal’s captain Dev Khanal was able to score 24 off 37 balls before getting departed in the bowl of Khalel Ahmad in the 16th over. Khanal was also caught behind the stumps by Numan.

Uttam Rangu Thapa Magar, who scored a 50 against Pakistan, managed to add only 14-ball four before being trapped lbw by Afghanistan’s captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil in the 19th over. 

Naseer also sent back Aakash Tripathi, who came after Magar, in the same over for a duck. Tripathi was also trapped for lbw. 

Nepal tottered to 79-5 but the entry of experienced Gulshan Jha raised hope for Nepal. 

He, however, departed scoring 17 off 20 balls with two sixes. He was caught in an attempt for a six along the long-0ff in the 24th over by Mohammad Younus. 

Jha was followed by Dipesh Kandel in the 30th over after scoring 11 off 19 balls. Subash Bhandari (8) got stumped by Numan in the bowl of Naseer in the 37th over. 

A over later, Hemant Dhami was also sent back to the pavilion for a duck as he was caught in the bowl of Wahidullah Zadran.

While the wickets were falling, Nepali opener Arjun Kumal was moving forward steadily. Kumal was nearing a century with enough overs, but with few wickets. 

However, it was in the 41st over that Kumal was also caught behind the stumps for an edge by Numan in the bowl of Faridoon. It was the last wicket that restricted Nepal to 188.

Faridoon and Naseer both claimed three wickets each, Younus took two and Wahidullah and Khalel took a wicket each.

Nepal is now at the bottom of Group A, which has India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan topped the group after winning against India by eight wickets in the second match on Saturday. Nepal now has one game remaining in the group stage. Nepal will play against India on December 12.