By Sachit Subba • Cricket • Jun 29, 2025 14:32 PM • 124 views
Defending champions Nepal underlined their dominance at the ACC U-16 East Zone Cup with a staggering 370-run victory over Indonesia at the Selangor Turf Club on Sunday, booking their place in the semi-finals with a third straight win in the tournament. It was a commanding performance from the young Rhinos, who piled up a mammoth 420 for 5 after being sent into bat before dismantling Indonesia for a paltry 50 in just 24.3 overs. The margin of victory is among the biggest in the competition's history and confirms Nepal's status as a top contender to retain the title. Nepal now leads Group A with six points from three matches, while Indonesia, with only two points, exits the tournament at the bottom of the group. Nepal's win also confirmed Singapore's progression into the final four alongside the table-toppers.
Batting Blitzkrieg: Jaisi, Srivastava, and Yadav Light Up Selangor
Nepal's innings were a masterclass in controlled aggression and relentless strokeplay. The foundation was laid by a superb century from opener Prasidh Jaisi, who carved 132 off 114 deliveries, laced with 15 boundaries and a towering six. His partnerships—130 with Parivarjan Yadav for the opening wicket and 148 with Ronak Srivastava for the third—ensured Nepal maintained a blistering tempo throughout.
Srivastava fell agonizingly short of a ton, his 88 coming off 71 balls and including eight fours and two sixes. But it was Yadav who stole the limelight with sheer brute force, hammering 71 from just 28 balls, clearing the ropes eight times in a jaw-dropping display of power-hitting.
Joy Thapa (57 off 41), Sugam Budhathoki (39*), and Roshan Shahi (10*) added the finishing touches as Nepal galloped past 400, a score rarely seen at this level.
Indonesia's bowling attack, despite flashes of promise, was largely ineffective. Ketuk Dharmaputra claimed 2 wickets, while Kabin Neeraj Chadda, Mahendra Aji Yuda Pratama, and Rehan Riza Athaila chipped in with one each.
Sharma's Six-for-Headlines Bowling Rout
Faced with a near-impossible chase of 421, Indonesia collapsed under relentless pressure from Nepal's disciplined bowling unit. Captain Bipin Prasar Sharma led by example, wreaking havoc with figures of 6 wickets—his spell breaking the back of the Indonesian lineup with surgical precision. Only two Indonesian batters—Kabin Neeraj Chadda (15) and Divit Nanda (14)—managed to reach double digits. The rest folded meekly, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals. Sugam Budhathoki and Subham Khanal each added a wicket to cap off a complete team performance on the field.
Next Stop: Bhutan Clash to Close Group Stage
Nepal now heads into its final group-stage fixture against Bhutan on Tuesday, brimming with confidence and aiming to maintain its unbeaten streak. Coach Raju Khadka and his young charges will be buoyed not just by the results but also by how they've outclassed their opponents in all departments. With the semi-finals beckoning and momentum on their side, Nepal's quest for back-to-back U-16 East Zone titles is beginning to look increasingly inevitable.
