Kathmandu, Nov 7: In the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, Nepal secured their second consecutive victory. In today’s match held at the Seven Districts Ground, Ajman in UAE, Nepal defeated Kuwait by a wide margin of 108 runs.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Nepal set a target of 131 runs for Kuwait. In their reply, Kuwait were all out for just 22 runs in 13 overs.
For Kuwait, captain Jifa Jilani was the top scorer with 12 runs. She faced 17 balls and hit 2 fours. Apart from Jilani, none of the other Kuwaiti players could score in double digits. Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar made 2 runs off 3 balls before being dismissed. Sarah Jasvi scored 4 runs off 12 balls, while Jinia Afruz and Swatiba Kuldeep Singh Parmar both managed only 1 run each.
Candice Dias, Reline Maria D’Souza, Ishanvi Mohan Singh, Pearl Serena Simon, Khadija Jahir Hussain, and Amisha Ram Olacheri were all dismissed for zero runs.
For Nepal, Rachana Kumari Chaudhary and Seemana KC each took two wickets, while captain Pooja Mahato, Krishma Gurung, and Manisha Kumari Upadhyay claimed one wicket each. Kuwait also conceded two extra runs.
Earlier, Nepal posted a total of 130 runs for 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Pooja Mahato top-scored for Nepal with 34 runs, facing 38 balls and hitting 4 fours. Sana Praveen made 25 runs from 18 balls, including 5 fours. Jyotsnika Marasini contributed 23 runs from 18 balls with 1 four. Sabitri Dhami and Soni Pakhrin scored 6 runs each, while Seemana KC made 4 runs. Krishma Gurung contributed 1 run, while Rachana Kumari Chaudhary and Riya Sharma were both dismissed for 0. Nepal also received 16 extra runs.
For Kuwait, Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar took 2 wickets, while Jifa Jilani and Amisha Ram Olacheri each claimed 1 wicket.
With this victory, Nepal now faces the UAE on Saturday. The qualifying tournament, which is being held in the UAE, features four teams: the host UAE, Nepal, Kuwait, and Thailand. The top team from this tournament will secure a spot in the 2025 U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia. #cricket #nepal #women
