The Nepalese national cricket team are eyeing a win against UAE on the reserve day of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup final. The final match on Monday was forced to play on the reserve day (Tuesday) after persistent rain.
Rain first interrupted the match while UAE were 60 for the loss of five wickets in 16 overs. After a short delay, play resumed, and Nepal were able to bag another four wickets in eleven odd overs before rain halted again. With UAE 106/9 in 27.3 overs, no further play was possible after continuous rain.
The play will resume from where it stopped on the reserve day. So, Nepal will be in action to take the last wicket with Lalit Rajbanshi on a hat-trick. There’s a good chance of rain even on the reserve day; hence Nepal will aim to pick the last wicket as soon as possible and try to chase the target. If no play is possible even on the reserve day, then Nepal will qualify for Asia Cup based on a higher ICC ranking.
Only Asif Khan showed the fighting spirit for UAE. He made 46 before being dismissed by Lalit Rajbanshi on the second last ball of the day. Rajbansi pocketed three wickets for Nepal. Sandeep and Karan grabbed two each, while Sompal and Gulshan dismissed one batter each.
The play will resume at 9:00 AM (NST) at TU Cricket Ground.
The winner of the match will qualify for the Asia Cup and join India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup 2023, which will take place in September.
Nepal, along with UAE and Oman, are already confirmed to play ACC Emerging Cup. India A, Pakistan A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A and the top three teams of the Premier Cup will battle in the tournament.
