Nepal wins T20I series against USA with one match in hand

Kathmandu, Oct. 21: It was all drama at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, USA, as Nepal defeated the hosts in a game that went to super over to clinch the three-match T20I series with one match remaining. 

The USA was the only Associate to progress to the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup in June; moreover, they defeated Pakistan, in a super over, in the group stage to qualify for the next stage with India. However, the super-over did not end in favour of the hosts on Sunday morning (Saturday night in Texas) with Nepal defeating the USA twice in two matches. Nepal can whitewash the T20I tri-series by winning the final game on October 21 and set a tone for the upcoming CWC League 2 tri-series with the USA and Scotland across a 50-over format.

Nepal had a far more comfortable victory in the inaugural match on October 18, defeating the USA by 17 runs. After winning the toss, Monank Patel asked Nepal to bat first, believing that Nepal's batting order, with a streak of struggles in Canada, would crumble in contemporary conditions. But the plan backfired.    

And when Nepal’s skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel won the toss on October 20, he followed the rhythm they set in the first match. Batting first, Nepal posted 170/6 on the board, a bigger total than the previous game, mostly with the not-out inning of 92 off 54 for in-at-three Kushal Bhurtel, for which he was awarded as the player of the match.

Bhurtel had been out of form for almost a year but was making a comeback after a rest for a few matches and returning down the order from the opener. While he could only reach the double figure (10 off 13) in the first match, he fell short of only eight runs for his century as the 20 overs ended. Bhurtel, scoring runs at a strike rate of 170, destroyed the USA bowling line-up with seven fours and six sixes.

Anil Kumar Sah (25 off 31), Gulshan Kumar Jha (19 off 12) and Paudel (18 off 14) were the only other batsmen to score in double figures for Nepal while the Sheikh brothers departed for a run each and Dipendra Singh Airee added 2 off 3. Karan KC entered with one ball in hand after Aarif Sheikh got run out in 19.5 overs and ended the first inning with a six to Ali Khan.

Jasdeep Singh and Nosthush Kenjige with two each and Saurabh Netravalkar with one were the wicket-takers for the USA. While Bhurtel opened his hands well, the USA bowlers were great with restricting Nepal to 170 runs as their batting order could chase it.

Patel, skipper and opener of the USA, got bowled out by Karan KC as the first wicket in 1.4 overs giving a great start for Nepal, but the other opener, Saiteja Mukkamalla, and in-at-three Andries Gous, who was the highest score in the first game, gave a hard time and took the game towards their pocket with every passing over.

When Mukkamalla departed for 47 off 41 at the end of the 12th over, he and Gous had taken the USA to 96 runs. On the other hand, Gous, a foreign player to keep an eye on in the upcoming Nepal Premier League, went on to hit four sixes and three fours. 

At 62 runs, Gous, with the USA requiring 3 of 3, tried winning it for the team with a six up front and got caught by Bhurtel in the boundary line. Running out Jasdeep Singh in the final ball, Nepal and the USA tied at 170 runs and the game went on to super over.

The experience of Sompal Kami and Karan KC was the biggest asset for Nepal in the match as the duo won it with their bowling. KC and Kami bagged three and two wickets respectively in the 20-over game, and it was Kami who took two consecutive wickets in the super over to restrict the USA to 2 runs in four balls. Chasing 3 runs in the super over, Paudel and Bhurtel ran three singles in four balls to win the three-match T20I series by 2-0.