Nepal Loses to Malaysia by 2 Wickets in Asian Games Women's T20 Qualifier Semifinal

Kuala Lumpur. In the second semifinal match of the Asian Games Women's T20 Qualifier, Nepal was defeated by Malaysia by 2 wickets. Malaysia chased down Nepal's target of 127 runs in 8 balls remaining, with 8 wickets lost.

For Malaysia, Elsa Hunter batted explosively, scoring 48 runs in just 24 balls. She hit 10 fours and 1 six. Dhanushri Muhunan scored 21 runs in 29 balls. Aina Hamizah Hashim scored 18 runs and Mahira Izati Ismail scored 14 runs.

For Nepal, Rhea Sharma took 3 wickets, conceding 20 runs in 3 overs. Manisha Upadhyay and Rubina Chhetri took 2 wickets each, while Sita Rana Magar took 1 wicket.

Earlier, at the Bayumas Oval ground, after winning the toss and batting first, Nepal scored 126 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Captain Indu Verma remained not out, scoring a maximum of 46 runs in 41 balls. She hit 5 fours in the process.

Similarly, Kabita Kunwar scored 33 runs in 15 balls. She hit 4 fours and 1 six. Ruby Poddar scored 17 runs and Pooja Mahato scored 15 runs. For Malaysia, Winifred Duraisingam took 2 wickets, while Aisa Elisa and Mariha Izati Ismail took 1 wicket each.

Earlier, in the first match, Thailand defeated China by 83 runs to secure a place in the final. Nepal will now play China on Sunday for the third position.

A total of three teams, including the two teams that reached the final and one team that won the third-place playoff, will secure a place in the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Host Japan and ICC full member nations Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have already automatically qualified for the competition.