Nepal edge closer to T20 World Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 15: Nepal are just one victory away from securing their place in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. A nail-biting five-run win over Qatar on Monday night saw Nepal climb to six points, maintaining second position in the Super Six table of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia and EAP Qualifier currently underway in Oman.

Nepal entered the Super Six with two carry-over points as group winners and edged past UAE by one run in their opening fixture. Hosts Oman top the table on net run rate, also with six points—level with Nepal and other contenders.

Nepal have two matches remaining: a crucial clash against Oman on Wednesday, followed by a fixture against Samoa on Friday. A win over Oman would seal Nepal’s qualification for their third T20 World Cup, with a game to spare.

The team are aiming to extend their winning streak and clinch the championship title in the Qualifiers. The top three sides from the Super Six stage will earn tickets to the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Nepal are favourites against Oman, having won five of their seven T20I encounters. They also triumphed over Oman in the warm-up matches ahead of the Qualifiers.

However, Nepal’s batting remains a concern. The top and middle order continue to falter, making it difficult to post commanding totals—a trend that persisted against Qatar.

As has often been the case, Nepal’s bowling and fielding units came to the rescue.  Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane delivered a stellar performance in the tense win over Qatar, while Dipendra Singh Airee impressed with the ball in the victory over the UAE on Sunday.

Playing at Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Monday, Nepal posted a target of 148. In response, Qatar appeared comfortable at 105/2 after 13 overs, requiring just 6.14 runs per over. But Nepal staged a dramatic comeback to snatch two vital points.

In the final over, Qatar needed 10 runs with eight wickets down. Captain Rohit Paudel entrusted Lamichhane with the ball. He bowled two dot balls before stumping Amir Farooq. With seven runs needed off the final delivery, Mujeeb Ur Rehman was stumped by Aasif Sheikh off a wide ball.

Lamichhane claimed five wickets, including the dismissal of opener Imal Liyanage, who top-scored with 56. Fellow opener Zubai Ali (52) kept Qatar in the hunt until he was removed by Nandan Yadav as the eighth wicket in the 19th over. Yadav and Airee also chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.

Earlier, skipper Paudel anchored Nepal’s innings with a fluent 58 off 41 balls, featuring seven fours and a six. He was supported by Airee (26 off 22), Gulsan Jha (16 off 8), and Sompal Kami (14 off 9), helping Nepal post a competitive total. For Qatar, Mirza Mohammed Baig and Daniel Archer picked up three wickets apiece.