On the reserve day of the Premier Cup final on Tuesday, Nepal overcame a spin bowling group in Kathmandu and navigated a challenging chase to claim the final Asia Cup 2023 slot.
Nepal Asia Cup 2023: The move to move Gulshan Jha up to No. 3 in the batting order by captain Rohit Paudel and coach Monty Desai to first deal with Aayan Khan’s left-arm orthodox pitch before responding with a variety of strokes proved to be a masterstroke.
The 17-year-old scored 67* to attempt to reach the target of 118, which was made challenging by the UAE’s powerful spin-bowling team, the slow Tribhuvan University conditions, and the potential for rain in the city’s capital.
On the third day, the UAE started their innings at 106/9. Lalit Rajbanshi carried on from Monday by capturing the final wicket with his own left-arm orthodox to complete with 4/14 (7.1). Sandeep Lamichhane, a leg-spinner, collected 2/34 (10) at the other end, extending his record of successful wicket-taking performances to 33 ODI games.
The Emiratis decided to start with their spinners, beginning with a 17-year-old of their own in Aayan Khan, and kept quicks Zahoor Khan and Junaid Siddique on the ice early.
After fellow finger spinner Rohan Mustafa removed Kushal Bhurtel for one, Aayan claimed Aasif Sheikh for just eight. Mustafa then forced a mistake from Rohit Paudel (one) chopping on to make it 22/3.
Jha was first cautious while watching two wickets fall at the other end. He then pounced on overpitched deliveries and launched straight and over the top for multiple sixes down the ground. When Karthik Meiyappan didn’t smash the ball the distance, he pounced, hitting the leg-spinner for 14 runs in the span of just three balls to change the momentum.
“Nepal Wins Thrilling Match Against UAE, Secures Final Position in Group A for Asia Cup”
The flurry relieved the strain on the batting side, and any uncertainty that had silenced the normally raucous Kathmandu audience vanished. As a last-ditch effort, UAE turned to fast bowler Zahoor, but runs flowed in Nepal’s fourth wicket partnership as Bhim Sharki and Jha joined in the middle overs.
When Jha reached fifty, he raised his bat, hit Aayan for a six down the middle to tie the game, and then paddled the next ball behind square and leg-side to win. Bhim finished with a score of 36*, and the two combined for an unbroken 96-run partnership.
With the Asia Cup scheduled for September, Nepal, India, and Pakistan will fill the final position in Group A.
Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, who placed first through third respectively at the Premier Cup, will also compete in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in July, where they will face off against ‘A’ Teams composed of five Full Members from the area.
