Nepal on Friday won the One Day International (ODI) series against United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first International series that the Himalayan Nation has ever won on home ground. Nepali cricketers Ashif Sheikh and Gyanendra Malla scored half-centuries in the nail-biting game to defeat UAE by six wickets in the title decider on Friday running past the 177-run target set by the visiting team in 40.1 overs.
Opener Aasif Sheikh led Nepal to the victory scoring not out 88 runs off 119 balls, hitting twelve fours. Gyanendra Malla contributed 64 runs off 73 balls, smashing seven fours and three sixes.
Hazrat Bilal and Aayan Afzal Khan of the UAE took a wicket apiece. Opener Muhammed Wasim was caught behind by Aasif Sheikh off Gulsan Jha’s delivery in 1.2 overs for 11 runs.
Capitalising on the good start, Sompal Kami bowled Vriitya Aravind for a duck in the third over. Jha returned to bowl and bagged the wicket of UAE skipper Chundangapoyii Rizwan in the first ball of the fourth over. Rizwan contributed four runs for his team.
Rohan Mustafa and Alishan Sharafu tried to stabilise the visitor’s innings but both of them were sent back in the span of two overs.
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Kushal Bhurtel caught Mustafa off Dipendra Singh Airee’s delivery in 23.2 overs after scoring 24 runs while Sharafu, who scored 33 runs off 69 deliveries, was bowled by Bhurtel in 25.4 overs.
Nepal were in a good position until the 32nd over when Zahoor Khan was run out for a duck and needed just a wicket to restrict the visitors to a low total.
However, UAE’s Aayan Afzal Khan and Hazrat Bilal stuck to the crease and created an 83-run partnership. Khan scored 54 runs off 63 deliveries while Bilal contributed 20 runs to the scoreboard. Both of them remained not out.
For Nepal, Jha, Airee and Bhurtel took two wickets each while Kami and Lalit Rajbanshi bagged one wicket each.
Nepal lost to UAE in the first round of the game earlier on Monday this week by 84 runs which was held at Tribhuwan University Ground. On Wednesday, Nepal took revenge against UAE, winning by three wickets with 13 balls remaining.
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