Kathmandu (HamroKhelkud) – Oman defeated Nepal on super over to lift the ICC T20 World Cup Asia Region Finals in Kathmandu. Nepal, who required 22 runs in the super over, could only score 10 runs and conceded the final to Oman.
Oman’s ace pace Bilal Khan dismissed Kushal Bhurtel in the very first ball of the super over. Kushal Malla couldn’t score any runs in the second delivery and took a single in the third. Gulshan Jha took another single in the fourth and the match went away from Nepal. Kushal Malla scored two boundaries in the final two deliveries but it was too late.
On the other hand, Abinash Bohora conceded 21 runs in the super over with three sixes hit by Naseem Khushi.
Earlier, Nepal, batting first after winning the toss, scored 185 runs at the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Gulshan Jha scored the highest score for Nepal- a quickfire 54 runs in 25 deliveries with five fours and four sixes. Skipper Rohit Paudel also made an unbeaten half-century, contributing 52 runs off 37 deliveries with five fours and two sixes to his name.
Opener Kushal Bhurtel scored 32 off 22 with three fours and two sixes to his name. Karan KC hit one four and two sixes to remain not out on 20 off six Sundeep Jora scored ten, Aasif Sheikh scored six, Kushal Malla made three runs while Bibek Yadav could only add one run to the total.
Bilal Khan took three wickets for Oman while Aqid Ilyas took two and skipper Zeeshan Maqsood took one scalp.
Oman, on the chase, also scored 185 at the loss of nine wickets. Oman required eight runs in the final over. Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets, forced a run-out and gave just seven runs away to force a super over.
Opener Kashyap Prajapati was the pick of the batters for Oman- he made 63 off 52 with three fours and four sixes in his innings. Aqib Ilyas made 33 runs off 19 with two fours and three sixes. Zeeshan Maqsood made 26 runs with two fours and a six.
Mohammad Nadeem remained unbeaten on 24 runs off just nine deliveries with five fours in his innings. Aayan Khan and Mehran Khan made ten runs each, Pratik Athavale made seven runs, Naseem Khushi and Fayyaz Butt score one each while Shekaeel Ahmed went for a duck.
Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC took two wickets for Nepal while Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Abinash Bohora and Bibek Yadav took one wicket apeice. Kushal Malla remained wicketless.
Despite the loss, Nepal had already qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup next year by booking their place in the final. Alongside Nepal, Oman will also fly to the Carribbean and the USA for the global spectacle. This is Nepal’s second qualification for the T20 World Cup after the heroics in 2014. Oman will be playing their third T20 World Cup after participating in 2016 and 2021.
