Kathmandu, Oct 9: Nepal registered a convincing 58-run victory over Kuwait in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and EAP Qualifier match held last night at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal posted a total of 141 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel anchored the innings with an impressive 66 runs off 56 balls. Dipendra Singh Airee and Gulshan Jha chipped in with 20 runs each, while captain Rohit Paudel added 16 off 15 deliveries. Bhurtel’s all-round performance, which also included taking a wicket, earned him the Player of the Match award.
For Kuwait, N. Rajendran and A. Chandamara picked up two wickets apiece, while M.A. Farooq and M. Aslam took one each.
In reply, Kuwait managed only 83 runs before being bowled out in 18.1 overs, falling short by 58 runs. Their top scorers were Clinto Anto (26), Yashin Patel (19), and Meet Bhavsar (11). Nepal’s bowling attack proved too strong, with Lalit Rajbanshi, Sandeep Lamichhane, and captain Rohit Paudel each claiming two wickets. Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, and Bhurtel took one wicket apiece.
With this win, Nepal opened their campaign on a positive note in Group B, which includes Kuwait and Japan. The qualifiers feature nine teams divided into three groups, competing for a place in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled from February to March. #nepal #cricket #kuwait
