In the 2024 ACC Premier Cup, Nepal secured its third consecutive victory by defeating Hong Kong with a margin of 8 wickets. With this win, Nepal has officially secured its spot in the semi-finals of Group A.
Chasing a target of 115 runs, Nepal achieved victory in just 12.2 overs, losing only 2 wickets. Opener Asif Sheikh contributed the highest with 40 runs, including 3 fours and 3 sixes in 18 balls. Another opener Kushal Bhurtel added 32 runs with 3 fours and 2 sixes in 19 balls. Their partnership of 70 runs in 5.3 overs set a fantastic start for Nepal. However, Rohit Paudel got out scoring 25 runs with 3 fours in 20 balls, while Sandeep Jora scored 19 runs, including 1 four and 1 six in 17 balls. Bowling for Hong Kong, Ahsan Khan and Yasim Murtaza took 1 wicket each.
Earlier, Hong Kong, after losing the toss and batting first at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground 1, managed to score 114 runs in 17.5 overs, losing all their wickets. Captain Nizakat Khan top-scored with 34 runs, hitting 4 fours and 1 six in 26 balls. None of the other batsmen could perform well.
Opener Martin Coetzee scored 8, Nizakat Khan 12, Babar Hayat 6, Aziz Khan 7, Yasim Murtaza 2, Nasrullah Rana 6, Jishan Ali 14, and Ahsan Khan 11 runs before getting out.
Nepal’s fast bowler Abinash Bohara took 3 wickets conceding 29 runs in 4 overs, while Lalit Rajbanshi grabbed 2 wickets giving away 14 runs in 4 overs. Dipendra Singh Airee and Karan KC took 1 wicket each.
In their previous matches, Nepal defeated Malaysia by 5 wickets and Qatar by 32 runs.
Nepal’s final group stage match will be against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. In Group A, only Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have a chance to accumulate 6 points. If Malaysia loses to Qatar on Monday, Nepal will advance to the semi-finals today.
Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the Asia Cup T20 tournament after the T20 World Cup.
