Nepal secure win over UAE in League-2 opener

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 26: Nepal began their ICC World Cup League-2 triangular series campaign with a hard-fought 37-run victory over the United Arab Emirates at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday.

Defending a modest total of 200, Nepal produced a disciplined bowling performance to dismiss the UAE for 163 in 48.2 overs. The win marks a timely boost for the hosts, who are seeking to improve their standing in the League-2 table.

All-rounder Karan KC was the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets for just 19 runs in 9.2 overs. He was well supported by Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane, who took two wickets apiece, while Dipendra Singh Airee and Lalit Rajbanshi chipped in with one each.

For the UAE, Harpreet Singh Bhatia top-scored with 39, while captain Mohammad Wasim made 34 and Akashdeep Nath added 30. However, none of the visitors’ batters were able to convert their starts into a match-winning innings as Nepal tightened their grip in the latter stages.

Earlier, Nepal were bowled out for 200 in 48.1 overs after being put in to bat. Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee anchored the innings with an unbeaten 75 off 90 balls, striking five fours and two sixes. He found limited support from the rest of the batting line-up, with Kushal Bhurtel scoring 24, Karan KC contributing 22 and Basir Ahmed adding 20.

The UAE bowlers shared the spoils, with Ajay Kumar and Junaid Siddiqui taking three wickets each, while Khuzaima Tanveer picked up two.

With this victory, Nepal move to 14 points from 21 matches, although they remain seventh in the eight-team standings. The UAE sit bottom with 10 points from the same number of games. Nepal will need a strong run of results to retain their ODI status ahead of the 2027 World Cup qualification pathway.