By Sachit Subba • Cricket • Jan 26, 2026 14:37 PM • 20 views
KIRTIPUR — Nepal’s hopes of securing a historic spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup came to a heartbreaking end on Monday, as a catastrophic batting collapse handed Scotland a comprehensive 72-run victory at the TU Cricket Ground.
The defeat confirms Nepal’s exit from the Global Qualifier at the group stage, leaving the hosts with a record of three losses and a solitary win against Zimbabwe.
Chasing a competitive but achievable target of 141, the Nepali batting lineup crumbled under pressure, skittled out for a mere 68 runs in 13.5 overs. The chase never found momentum, with the home side losing wickets in clusters.
Openers Bindu Rawal and Roma Thapa offered the only notable resistance, scoring 14 runs apiece, while veteran Rubina Chhetry chipped in with 10. No other batter managed to reach double figures. To compound Nepal's misfortunes, captain Indu Barma was forced to retire hurt after scoring 5 runs off 5 balls, effectively ending the innings with Nepal nine wickets down.
A Tale of Two Innings
The heavy loss overshadowed what had been a spirited start by the home team. After winning the toss and electing to field, Nepal’s bowlers came out firing.
Making her appearance in the Global Qualifier, Manisha Upadhyay delivered a sensational opening spell. She rocked the Scots in the very first over, removing opener Kathryn Bryce and Darcy Carter to send the Kirtipur crowd into a frenzy. Upadhyay finished with stellar figures of 4 for 17 from her four overs.
Former captain Rubina Chhetry supported the attack well, claiming 3 wickets for 23 runs, while Riya Sharma, Sita Rana Magar, and Kabita Joshi picked up a wicket each.
However, despite being reduced to a precarious position, Scotland recovered through a gritty, unbeaten 45 from Priyanaz Chatterji. Valuable contributions from Ailsa Lister (22), Sarah Bryce (18), and Megan McColl (17) helped the visitors post a fighting total of 140 all out in 20 overs—a total that ultimately proved far beyond Nepal's reach.
The Road Ahead
With this result, the Super Six lineup is now set. From Group B, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Thailand have advanced, while Nepal and Zimbabwe have bowed out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Bangladesh, Ireland, and the USA have secured their spots in the next round, while Papua New Guinea and Namibia have been eliminated.
For Nepal, the tournament ends on a note of "what could have been," as a promising bowling performance was undone by a fragile batting display on the biggest stage.
