Nepal to face Qatar in ACC Premier Cup clash

KATHMANDU: Following a triumphant start in the ACC Premier Cup, Nepal gears up for its second match against Qatar on Saturday.

After securing a five-wicket victory over Malaysia in their opening encounter on Friday, Nepal is poised to take on Qatar today.

The match against Qatar is scheduled to kick off at 4:15 PM in Oman.

With their initial win against Malaysia, Nepal has clinched 2 points in Group A.

In Friday's match, Nepal successfully chased down Malaysia's target of 144 runs in 19.2 overs.

Key contributions came from Kushal Bhurtel with 24 runs, Aarif Sheikh with 32 runs, and Gulshan Jha with 19 runs. Captain Rohit Paudel added 28 runs, Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 20, and Kushal Malla scored 7 runs. Sandeep Jora remained not-out with 12 runs.

Captain Rohit Paudel also marked a significant milestone, becoming the third Nepali cricketer to reach 1000 runs in T20I cricket.

On the bowling front, Dipendra Singh Airee claimed 2 wickets for Nepal, while Abinash Bohora secured one.

In their encounter, Malaysia, opting to bat first after winning the toss, posted a total of 143 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs.

For Malaysia, captain Virandeep Singh top-scored with 68 runs, followed by Sharvin Muniandy with 41 runs.

Muhammad Amir contributed 16 runs to the Malaysian total.

Nepal's upcoming matches in Group A include a clash against Hong Kong on April 15 and a face-off with Saudi Arabia on April 17. Meanwhile, Group B consists of Bahrain, Cambodia, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semifinals, with the final match slated for April 21.

The tournament winner will earn qualification for the T20 Asia Cup 2025.