Nepal aim to defend title at ACC U-16 East Zone Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 21: Captain Bipin Prasad Sharma has expressed confidence in defending the title at the ACC U-16 East Zone Cup, set to take place in Malaysia.

Speaking at a farewell event organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal on Friday, Sharma noted that his squad is well-prepared for the challenge. 

“Recently, the players have been active in various tournaments and are in excellent form. The team is balanced, and coordination is strong. I believe we will put in a top performance and return home with the title,” he said.

The Nepali team departed for Malaysia on Friday night. The ACC U-16 East Zone Cup will run from June 22 to July 5. Ten teams—Nepal, Malaysia, Bhutan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand—will compete across three venues: Selangor Turf Club, KTJ Oval, and UKM Oval.

Nepal, placed in Group A, will kick off its campaign against Singapore on June 22, followed by matches against Japan (June 24), Indonesia (June 29), and Bhutan (July 1). Nepal is the defending champion, having defeated Malaysia in the 2023 final.

Coach Dipendra Bahadur Chand echoed the captain’s optimism. “Although we had limited time for centralized training, the players have been consistently engaged in district and national-level competitions over the past month, which has contributed significantly to our preparation.

Everyone is fit, the squad is well-balanced, and I’m confident we will perform well and bring the trophy home,” Chand stated.