Nepali national team registered a convincing 55-run win over DCA, Ghaziabad in T20 practice match. Nepali team is in Indian capital to to prepare for the Qualifiers of World T20 Cup to be held from November 15 to 30 in UAE.
Nepali batsmen came up with much improved performance at the Nehru Cricket Stadium in Ghaziabad. Nepali batsmen put up 144 for 8 after electing to bat first and bowled out the local team for 89 in 17.4 overs.
Nepali Team after victory against DCA, Ghaziabad. Photo: Raman Shiwakoti
Opening pair of Mahesh Chhetri (22) and Pradeep Aire (39) put up 59-run stand for the first wicket before Airee was trapped leg before in last ball of 8th over after facing 26 deliveries. Airee, the topscorer for Nepal, hit 39 runs off 33 balls with eight boundaries. Chhetri was stumped in the last ball of the 11th over after scoring 22 off 26 balls.
Gyanendra Malla scored briskly, and made 32 off 23 that included four boundaries. Rahul Bishwakarma contributed 24 off 22. Skipper Paras Khadka, Sharad Vesawkar and Anil Mandal could not get into double figures. Shakti Gauchan remained unbeaten at 7.
Asif Masnuri was the pick of Indian bowling with four wickets. Gaurav Tomar and Sanjeev Singh took two wickets apiece. In the home team’s run chase, opener Aadil Raza (22), skipper Gaurav Tomar (17), Shivendra Paul (11) and Nandu Tyagi (11) crossed double figures but could not sustain the momentum.
Nepali bowler Avinash Karna bagged three wickets while Jitendra Mukhiya and Rahul Bishwakarma took two wickets each.
Nepal will play its next match against Invitational XI at Bharatnagar Academy Ground on Tuesday.
Nepal has been drawn in Group B of the World T20 qualifiers along with Afghanistan, Scotland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Bermuda and Denmark. The top six teams of the qualifiers will progress to the World T20 2014 to be held in Bangladesh.