Nepal clinch 16-run win over Qatar

By A Staff Reporter.Kathmandu, Oct. 7: Nepal edged past Qatar by 16 runs in their second warm-up fixture for the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifiers held in Oman on Monday.

Opting to bat first, Nepal posted a competitive total of 170 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, Qatar fell short, managing 154 for 6 from their full quota.

For Qatar, Muhammad Tanveer top-scored with a brisk 51 off 37 deliveries, while skipper Mirza Baig chipped in with a handy 40 off 27. Nepal’s pace spearhead Karan KC led the bowling attack with a tidy three-wicket haul. Nandan Yadav, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Lalit Rajbanshi bagged a wicket each to keep the pressure on.

Earlier, Nepal’s opener Kushal Bhurtel set the tone with a fluent half-century, smashing 56 off just 33 balls. Dipendra Singh Airee continued the momentum with a quickfire 38 off 21, while Kushal Malla remained unbeaten on 38 from 29 balls, anchoring the innings in the death overs.

Qatar’s Shariq Munir and Ikramullah picked up two wickets apiece, keeping Nepal’s middle order in check. The Nepali men's team will be heading into the T20 World Cup Qualifiers with back-to-back wins under their belt, boosting team morale. They had earlier thumped hosts Oman by six wickets in the first warm-up match on 4 September.

Nepal arrived in Oman fresh off a historic T20I series win against ICC Full Member West Indies — a landmark achievement in their cricketing journey.

Nepal are on a mission to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time in a row and third overall. Nine teams are vying for spots in the Asia-Pacific Qualifiers, split into three groups:

Nepal is pitted with Japan and Kuwait in Group 2. The Group 1 consists of the UAE, Malaysia and Qatar and Group 3 is comprised of Oman, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.  

The top two sides from each group will progress to the Super Six stage. From there, the top three teams will earn a berth in the T20 World Cup.

Nepal kick off their campaign on Wednesday, 8 October against Kuwait, followed by their final group match versus Japan on 10 October. A single win in the group stage will be enough to seal their spot in the Super Six, beginning 12 October.

All matches will be streamed live on ICC.tv and played at the Oman Cricket Academy in Al Amerat.