Kathmandu, April 9
Nepal began their T20I campaign in Hong Kong with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Qatar in the opening match of the tournament.
Chasing a target of 152 runs, Nepal reached the total in just 17 overs, losing only two wickets in the process. Opener Kushal Bhurtel top-scored with 38 runs, while skipper Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on 37. Aasif Sheikh contributed 33 runs, and Basir Ahmed finished not out on 30. Qatar’s Mujeeb Ur Rehman claimed both wickets for his side.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Qatar posted a moderate total of 151 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Ikramullah Khan led from the front with a half-century, scoring 54 runs off 54 balls with five fours and two sixes. Shahzaib Jameel chipped in with 31, while Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Mohammad Irshad remained unbeaten on 20 and 18 runs respectively.
Nepal’s bowling attack was evenly spread, with Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Gulshan Jha, and Lalit Rajbanshi each picking up one wicket.
It was a memorable debut for pacer Nandan Yadav, who claimed his maiden T20I wicket in his very first match for the national side. Although he had previously been included in Nepal’s ODI squad, this marked his official debut in international cricket.
The tournament features four teams: Hong Kong, Nepal, Qatar, and Kuwait. Nepal will face Kuwait in their second match on Thursday.
