Kathmandu, April 14
A stellar all-round performance led by spinner Yuvraj Khatri’s five-wicket haul and strong batting from the openers powered Nepal to a convincing 8-wicket win over Oman in the ICC U-19 World Cup Asia Qualifier, marking their second consecutive victory.
In the match played at the Upper Mulpani Cricket Ground, Nepal chased down the modest target of 118 runs in just 14.3 overs, losing only two wickets. Niraj Yadav scored a quick 46 runs, while Sahil Patel added 44. Oman’s Saumya Bhavin claimed both wickets for his side.
Earlier, Oman were bowled out for 117 in 38 overs after Khatri tore through their batting line-up, picking up 5 wickets for just 15 runs in 7 overs. Santosh Yadav took 2 wickets, while Dyanand Mandal, Ashok Dhami, and Aparajit Paudel chipped in with a wicket each.
For Nepal, Brajesh Sah also contributed with the bat, scoring a steady 52 off 78 balls with six boundaries. Siddharth Soumya Shankar added 16 runs to the total.
Having defeated UAE in their opening match, Nepal will now face Hong Kong in their third group match on Wednesday. Afghanistan, who also won their first game against UAE, defeated Hong Kong earlier today.
The top team from the five-nation qualifier — featuring Nepal, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman, and UAE — will secure a spot in the ICC U-19 World Cup next year.
