By Sachit Subba • Cricket • Oct 08, 2025 18:41 PM • 31 views
Kathmandu – Nepal kicked off their ICC T20 World Cup Asia & East Asia-Pacific Qualifier campaign with an emphatic 58-run victory over Kuwait on Thursday, showcasing a strong all-round performance at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground 1. Chasing a target of 142, Kuwait were bundled out for just 83 runs in 18.1 overs. Opener Clinto Anto (26) and Yasin Patel (19) were the only batters to offer some resistance against Nepal's disciplined bowling attack. Nepal got off to a dream start when Sompal Kami struck with his fourth delivery of the innings, bowling out opener Raveeja Sandaruwan for a duck. Spinner Nandan Yadav then dismissed Usman Patel, who was bowled attempting a sweep shot without scoring. Lalit Rajbanshi continued the pressure, getting Mitt Bhavsar caught for 11, putting Nepal firmly on top. Star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane claimed 2 wickets for 22 runs from his 4 overs, while skipper Rohit Paudel and Lalit Rajbanshi also bagged two wickets apiece. Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, and Nandan Yadav chipped in with one wicket each as Nepal wrapped up Kuwait's innings comfortably.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Nepal posted 141 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel was the standout performer, anchoring the innings with a fluent 66 off 56 balls that included 3 fours and 3 sixes. Late fireworks came from Gulshan Jha, who hammered 20 off just 6 deliveries, clearing the boundary three times in the penultimate over.
Among others, skipper Rohit Paudel contributed 16 off 15 balls with three boundaries, while Dipendra Singh Airee scored 20. Nepal's other batters — Aasif Sheikh (2), Sandeep Jora (5), and Kushal Malla (4) — fell cheaply.
Kuwait's Navenraj Rajendran picked up 2 wickets for 40 runs from his 4 overs, while Mohammad Aslam, Anupdeep, and Mohammad Farooq took one wicket each.
Nepal will next face Japan on Friday as they look to continue their winning momentum in the qualifiers.
