In the opening match of the ACC U19 Asia Cup held in Dubai on Friday, Nepal suffered a 7-wicket defeat against Pakistan. After setting a target of 153 runs, Nepal couldn’t stop Pakistan from achieving victory in 26.2 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
For Pakistan, captain Saad Baig and Azan Avais played crucial innings, both contributing half-centuries. Nepal’s Gulshan Jha, with his effective bowling, managed to claim the early wickets of Pakistan’s openers, but the team couldn’t break the partnership between Baig and Awais.
Nepal had earlier batted first, scoring 152 runs in 47.2 overs. Uttam Thapa Magar’s impressive half-century, scoring 51 runs off 76 balls, was the highlight of Nepal’s innings. However, the team faced a collapse, losing five wickets for just 46 runs in first 17 overs. The middle-order pairing of Dipesh Kandel and Uttam Thapa Magar showed resilience, adding a crucial 68-run partnership. Kandel contributed 31 runs before getting out in 59 deliveries.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Zeeshan was the star with the ball, taking 6 wickets in 9.2 overs, conceding only 19 runs.
In response, Pakistan’s opening batsman Shamyl Hussain was dismissed for a duck by Nepal’s Gulshan Jha in the first over. Gulshan also struck again, sending Shahzaib Khan back to the pavilion for 15 runs. Although Nepal managed to take a few wickets, Pakistan comfortably chased down the target in 26.2 overs.
Nepal will look to regroup and perform better in their upcoming matches against Afghanistan on December 10 and their final group-stage match against India on December 12.
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