Kathmandu, May 1
The final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup between Nepal and the UAE, which was interrupted by rain on Monday, will be continued on Tuesday.
The Asian Cricket Council had kept Tuesday as a reserve day just in case rain interrupted play in the final of the tournament.
The game will continue with the UAE batting at 106 for 9 and 27.3 overs bowled with spinner Lalit Rajbanshi on a hat trick.
The ACC Men’s Premier Cup has been affected by rain from the beginning as Nepal took advantage of overcast conditions and got quick wickets after winning the toss and bowling first.
UAE’s captain and maverick Mohammad Waseem was the first to go as he was caught out by Sompal Kami. A few overs later, in-form Vriitya Aravind also got out as the UAE kept losing continuous wickets as Nepali bowlers reduced to 35 for 4 by the 10th over.
Asif Khan, who had scored a century against Nepal when they played last, showed a fight as he put up a valiant 46 but with him getting out in the 28th over, the UAE were reduced to 106 for 9.
Rajbanshi impressed with the ball picking up three wickets, giving away only five runs in 4.3 overs. If and when play resumes, he will be on a hat trick. Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC picked up two wickets each while Sompal Kami and Gulshan Jha picked a wicket each putting Nepal in control of the match.
If rain obstructs the match on Tuesday and Nepal do not bat the number of overs required, the game will be taken to a super-over. If rain does not allow for the super-over to take place, Nepal will be declared the winner of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup and will qualify for the Asia Cup.
But, there is news coming out that the Asia Cup might not take place as scheduled due to a dispute between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
