Currently the most succesfull bowler for Nepal-Basanta ended with 42 International Wickets for Nepal last year. His left hand spin has been pivoital for carrying Nepal to World Cup Qualifiers.Being always among the wickets he is more than handy with the bat.
Basanta Regmi stands up tall when the going gets tough. He has won many matches for Nepal playing at times when everyone thought it was all over for Nepal.With such wins Basanta Regmi is rightly called the “Crisis-man” for Nepali Cricket team. When Basanta is playing its hard to determine which condition to call unwinnable.
Here are 3 matches which everyone thought the game was over for Nepal and Basanta carried Nepal to unlikely glory.
Nepal U-19 vs. New Zealand U-19 Plate Final
There could not have been a bigger stage for Basanta awaken off the “Crisis man” within him for the first time. Chasing 205 Nepal was 6 wicket down in 27th over with just 75 runs on board. Needing 130 runs at nearly 6 runs an over with just 4 wickets it seemed as if it was all over for Nepal.
Then came Basanta Regmi and joined Prem Chaudary. The duo carried the score to 145 runs in 42.1 overs. Prem was out on 26. Nepal added just three runs for the eigth wicket. With 2 wickets and 6.5 overs remaining, Nepali team needed 57 runs at over 8 runs an over against likes of Tim Southee (who after his debut in NZ team turned one of finest death over bowlers.)
Basanta and number nine R Rauniyar added 47 runs in 5 overs. Basanta eventually was out for match winning 66 of just 73 runs at teams total of 195 runs. The next 10 runs came in 8 balls for Nepal and Nepal win by 1 wicket.
Nepal vs. Singapore -ICC Division Five
Nepal was the favourite to win the ICC Division 5 in home soil then. Talking about favorites-Singapore was the least favorite, but the tables turned when Nepal was 5 down for 74 in 29 overs.
Basanta then joined Sharad Vesawkar in the crease and added 61 runs for sixth wicket. When Vesawkar was out for 32 Nepal was just 135 runs in 43 over. After Vesawkar Regmi batted alone and pushed to score to 175 runs. He added nearly 30 runs to his score after Vesawkar in less than 20 balls and got to his 50. He stayed in the pitch till the third last ball. Riding on Basanta’s heroics Nepal posted 180 runs.
With the ball Basata got rid of settled opener Suryawansi. Suryabasni had made a steady 29 runs then.He got one more wicket in the match and bowled with amazing consistency ending the match with figures 10-1-33-2. Sanjam Regmi had bagged 4 wickets in the match.
Nepal vs. Hong Kong-1st Match of ACC T20 Cup.
Troubles were early for Nepal in the match as Hong Kong cruised to 36 runs in just 2 overs thanks to some hard hitting from Irfan Ahmed. Basanta was brought as early as the third over and he got rid of Irfan in just his second ball. Ahmed made 25 of 11 balls. Babbar Hayat who was the second highest scorer for HK with 20 also fell to Basanta. Hk made 114 runs in 20 overs
With figures of 4-0-14-2 he should have been quite satisfied with his show.
Batting was pretty tough for Nepal. Gyanendra and Prithu who looked comfortable fell to some brilliant fielding skills from Hong Kong side. Malla was run out 19. Prithu who had swatted a six was brilliantly caught-one handed in the mid wicket boundary region by Irfan Ahmed trying a similar shot.
The 19th over was pivoital in the match. It started badly for Nepal with Khadka out of the first ball for a captains knock of 44 runs of 46 balls. Nepal was then 89/7 and needed 26 runs of 11 balls.
The target seemed impossible for Nepal with two new batsman on crease. But it all changed as Irfan gifted Nepal with two free hits, stepping over the line twice in over.One no-ball was swatted away for a boundary but worse, the subsequent free-hits were hit for a four and a six respectively by the left-handed Basanta Regmi.
The equation for the last over was 8 of 6 balls.Two singles of the 2 balls and then Basanta cut a full toss from Monir on the third ball to take Nepal close to glory. He took a single of the 4th ball and the score was level. The win however would only come off the last ball as nudged the ball into a gap and Regmi scrambled home to secure a sensational victory that left Hong Kong stunned.
