ACC Premier Cup: Sloppy Nepal start with nervy win over Malaysia

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Apr 12, 2024

A sloppy Nepal began their ACC Premier Cup title defense with a nervy victory defeating Malaysia by five wickets at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Friday.

An allround Dipendra Singh Airee helped Nepal restrict Malaysia, who elected to bat first, to 143-3 in 20 overs. Malaysian total would have looked something else had Nepal not leaked 15 extra runs from the field.

Dipendra and Gulshan Jha then led Nepal to victory with four balls to spare.

Nepal started cautiously adding 49 runs by the eighth over before they lost Kushal Bhurtel (24). His opening partner Aasif fell to Malaysia captain Virandeep Sigh stumped by Nazmus Sakib while trying to up the ante.

Aasif top scored with a 35-ball 32 with four hits to the fence. Nepal went on to lose Kushal Malla (seven) and skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel (28) with Dipendra playing a crucial 11-ball 20.

Precariously placed at 114-5 following the fall of Dipendra, Gulshan calmed the nerves smashing an all-important 19 not out from seven balls.

Nepal needed 17 from 12 balls when Gulshan hit Virandeep for a boundary and an exquisite six off a switch hit to turn the tide.

Virandeep took 3-34 from four overs for Malaysia.

Earlier, Malaysia started brightly scoring 30 runs in the first three overs before Dipendra applied brakes with his off spinners. He sent back Muhammad Amir (16) after enticing the opener to sky the ball high back to the bowler.

Virandeep and big-hitting Sharvin Muniandy scored briskly leading their side to what appeared to be a challenging total. The two batsmen added 82 runs for the second wicket.

Sharvin, with an experience of Nepal’s domestic T20 league, struck a breezy 33-ball 41 hitting three fours and two sixes. Virandeep carried the bat hitting four sixes and as many boundaries in his 72 off 54.

Man-of-the-match Dipendra returned the figures of 2-14 from four overs. Abinash Bohora took 1-28.