Kathmandu – Nepal has defeated UAE by 177 runs in the tri-nation ODI series under ICC World Cup Cricket League-2.
Nepal was Chasing the target of 249 runs given for UAE. They scored only 71 runs in 22 overs with all wickets out.
For UAE, Ayan Afzal Khan scored the highest 29 runs for UAE. Nepal’s Lalit Rajvanshi took 5 wickets on the bowling side.
Similarly, Sandeep Lamichhane took 2 wickets and Sempal Kami, Gulsan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airi took 1/1 wicket each.
Earlier, Nepal, who won the toss and batted first, scored 248 runs in 49 overs and got out. Captain Rahit Paidel scored the highest 77 runs for Nepal.
Similarly, Arif Sheikh scored 43 runs, Gulsan Jha scored 37 runs and Dipendra Singh Airi scored 34 runs. On the bowling side, UAE’s Ion Afzal Khan, Zahoor Khan, Rayhan Mustafa and Zawar Farid took 2 wickets each.
With this victory, Nepal has won ODI recognition two games before. Nepal has climbed to the fourth place in the League-2 table with 36 points in 34 games. To maintain the ODI recognition, you have to be in the top five of the table. With the defeat against Nepal, the ODI status of UAE is in danger.
Now, UAE has to win the remaining two games by a big margin to get ODI status. With 31 points in 34 games, UAE is at the sixth position in the table. America, which is in fifth place, has 35 points in 36 games. Namibia is third in the table with 39 points from 36 matches.
With this victory, Nepal remains in the top three and still has the possibility of playing the World Cup qualifiers. Now Nepal has to win the remaining two games of the last series of League-2.
Now Nepal will play PNG tomorrow on Monday and UAE on Thursday in the final match. From League-2, Scotland with 50 points in 36 games and Oman with 44 points in 36 games are ranked first and second respectively and have been selected to play in the World Cup.