Kathmandu, Nov 25: The Nepali U-19 cricket team defeated Saudi Arabia by 8 wicket with a magnificent batting display in the ACC Men’s U-19 Premier Cup held today at Karwan Ground, Ajman, UAE.
Nepal chased down the target of 219 runs set by Saudi Arabia in just 30.4 overs. Niraj Kumar Yadav made a standout contribution, scoring 114 runs off 90 balls with 13 fours and 1 six. He was later declared Player of the Match.
Similarly, Nischal Kshetri scored an important 66 runs, including five fours and one six. Playing aggressively, Niraj and Nischal shared a 155-run partnership. Opening batsman Vansh Chhetri also contributed 30 runs to the chase.
Earlier, Nepal won the toss and invited Saudi Arabia to bat first. While Saudi Arabia’s opening pair posted a respectable start, their lower order collapsed quickly.
For Nepal, Ashok Dhami took 2 wickets, while Dayanand Mandal, Sushil Bahadur Rawal, Cibrin Shrestha, and Darshan Sonar claimed one wicket each.
Nepal and Hong Kong U-19 both have 2 points, while Saudi Arabia remain without a point after losing both matches. Nepal, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia are placed in Group A.
Nepal will face Hong Kong on November 27. #nepal #cricket
