Oman has won the title of ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier after defeating Nepal in the final. The match ended in a tie leading to a super over, in which Oman emerged victorious. Oman and Nepal both have already qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Chasing a target of 185 runs, Oman’s inning also resulted in 184 as the match headed to super over. Naseem Khusi smashed three sixes off Bohara in the super over as Oman collected 21 runs. In response, Nepal could add only ten runs.
Oman were in a comfortable position after the first ten overs, as they scored 97/2, and they needed 88 runs from the remaining ten overs. The Nepalese bowlers delivered an excellent performance in the following five overs, allowing only 33 runs.
Karan KC’s 18th over and Abinash Bohara’s 19th over leaked 18 and 12 runs, respectively, setting the stage for Lamichhane to defend eight runs in the final over.
The leg-spinner secured a wicket on the second and third deliveries, but a boundary from Nadeem on the fifth ball meant Oman required two runs on the last ball. They could score only one run as the match was tied.
For Oman, Kashyap Prajapati scored 63 runs. Aqib Ilyas played 19-ball 33 runs knock while Mohammad Nadeem changed the game with 24 runs from nine balls. Sandeep Lamichhane and Karan KC picked up two wickets each for Nepal.
In the first inning, Nepal posted 184/6 after 20 overs. Opting to bat first at the TU Cricket Ground, Nepal had a shaky start as they lost Aasif Sheikh (6) in the third over. Despite this setback, they managed to accumulate 47 runs during the powerplay.
However, Nepal soon lost three quick wickets and found themselves at 60 for the loss of four wickets after the first ten overs. Kushal Bhurtel (31), Sundeep Jora (10), and Kushal Malla (3) were the batters who were dismissed
Gulshan Jha then played a game-changing innings by smashing an electrifying half-century. He reached his maiden T20I fifty in just 20 balls and ultimately scored 54 runs from 25 balls, including five fours and four sixes.
Rohit Paudel, who had initially played a slower innings, picked up the pace and played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings. At one point, he had scored 22 runs from 26 balls, but he eventually completed his fifty in 36 balls and remained unbeaten on 52 from 37 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Karan KC smashed 16 runs from the last three balls and helped his team score big
Bilal Khan was the pick of a bowler for Oman. He picked up three wickets and ended up with a figure of 4-0-26-3. Aqib Ilyas also grabbed a couple of wickets, conceding just 22 runs.
