Defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 44 runs, the Nepal national cricket team secured the ACC Premier Cup title. With this victory, Nepal has also qualified for the upcoming Asia Cup. This marks Nepal’s second appearance in the Asia Cup tournament. The Asia Cup, scheduled for June 2027 in Bangladesh, will feature India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan alongside Nepal. Nepal made its Asia Cup debut in 2023, delivering notably impressive performances against India and Pakistan.
On Saturday morning at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Malaysia, Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first. Captain Ashif Sheikh’s century was instrumental in building a strong total of 313 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs. In response, Nepal’s bowling attack dismissed UAE for 269 runs in 49.1 overs. This innings marked the third time Nepal has scored over 300 runs in a One Day International; previously, Nepal scored 321 against Scotland last year and 317 this year against the United States.
Opener Ashif Sheikh played a crucial innings at a critical moment. Nepal’s coach, Stuart Law, made strategic changes for the final, benching Dev Khanal and Sher Malla in favor of Arjun Kumar and Sandeep Jora. Ashif and Arjun put together a vital 97-run opening partnership. Ashif scored 102 runs off 106 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes. This century was his second in One Day International cricket.
Rahul Chopda and Soheb Khan added an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket as the team aimed to build a competitive total. However, chasing a challenging 314-run target, the UAE team faltered early. Nepal’s bowlers steadily paved the way to victory. Despite battling an injury, Rahul remained unbeaten on 100 runs. Karan took 3 wickets for Nepal, while Dipendra and Lalit claimed 2 wickets each.
