Nepal finish runners-up in ACC Men’s U19 Premier Cup

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 2: Nepal U19 cricket team finished runners-up in the ACC Men’s U19 Premier Cup 2025.

Chasing a target of 148 runs for victory, the Nepali side fell 27 runs short in the final against the United Arab Emirates U19 at Karwan Ground, Ajman, on Monday.

Captain Ashok Dhami top-scored with a patient 34 off 66 balls. Aashish Luhar and Roshan Bishwakarma contributed identical 25 runs each, while opener Vansh Chhetri (11) was the only other batter to reach double figures.

After Nepal slumped to 16/4 in the ninth over, Dhami shared a 44-run stand with Luhar for the fifth wicket. 

He later added 29 runs with Roshan for the seventh wicket and 16 runs with Aprajit Poudel (6) for the eighth.

UAE bowlers Yug Jai Sharma and Ali Asgar Shums claimed three wickets apiece, tearing through Nepal’s batting line-up. 

Uddish Suri and NoorUllah Ayobi also picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Nepal won the toss and chose to bowl first. Dayanand Mandal produced a brilliant spell, finishing with figures of 6-17, as Nepal restricted UAE to a modest 147 in 45.5 overs. 

However, his effort went in vain after Nepal’s batting collapse.

Ahmed Khudadad anchored the UAE innings with a patient 71 off 126 balls after they had lost four wickets for just 20 runs in the seventh over. 

NoorUllah (26 off 47) provided crucial support, adding 56 runs for the sixth wicket. 

Khudadad also shared a 24-run stand with Prithvi Madhu for the fifth wicket before taking the total to 145, eventually falling as the ninth wicket in the 45th over.

Alongside Mandal’s six wickets, Aprajit Poudel picked up two, while Nitesh Kumar Patel and skipper Dhami claimed one each.

Despite the defeat, Nepal, along with champions UAE and Malaysia, qualified for the Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025. 

Malaysia defeated Oman by 74 runs on Monday to secure their spot.