Nepal secured a spot in the finals of the ongoing Tri-nations T20 International Series in Hong Kong, triumphing over Papua New Guinea (PNG) by a convincing margin of 85 runs.
In the recent clash, PNG won the toss and elected to bowl. Nepal asked to bat first, and set an imposing total of 198 runs, losing six wickets in the process.
The opening pair of Kushal Bhurtel and Sandeep Zora demonstrated their batting prowess, both achieving half-centuries. Bhurtel’s impressive innings of 59 runs off 39 balls included four boundaries and three maximums, while Zora’s rapid 56 runs off 26 balls featured three fours and four sixes.
Contributions from Binod Bhandari (27 runs off 22 balls) and Lokesh Bam (14 runs off 6 deliveries) further strengthened Nepal’s innings. Bibek Yadav’s explosive cameo added 19 runs off four balls, and Gulsan Jha contributed an unbeaten 15 runs off 12 balls.
Despite the early dismissals of Rohit Poudel and Arif Sheikh, Nepal managed to post a challenging total.
In the second innings, Bhurtel showcased his bowling prowess by claiming four wickets, while Pratish GC took two wickets. Aakash Chand and Gulsan Jha each contributed with one wicket.
Although Hiri Hiri and Sese Bau made notable contributions for PNG with 28 and 21 runs respectively, the team was eventually bowled out for 113 runs in 17 overs.
With this comprehensive victory, Nepal has asserted its dominance in the tournament, securing a place in the finals.
