Nepal registered an overwhelming win against Namibia on Tuesday at TU Cricket Ground, the first victory against Namibia in the CWC League 2. Chasing a target of 286, the home side grabbed two wickets win, with 14 balls spare.
Apart from Nepal’s victory, Karan Kc’s fifer on valentine’s day, Sandeep Lamichhane’s comeback, and Kushal Bhurtel’s maiden ODI ton were something to cherish for a bumper crowd present at the stadium. Moreover, several records were also set after the triumph:
1. Nepal’s highest ODI score and chase
Nepal registered the highest ODI total as well as the highest chase after finishing on 287/8 in 47.4 overs. The previous best score was 286/8 against PNG in a losing cause in March 2022 at TU Ground itself. Meanwhile, the highest chase came against UAE in 2019. Paras Khadka’s century helped Nepal chase the target of 255, clinching the first-ever ODI series.
2. Rohit Paudel reach to 1000 ODI runs
Skipper Rohit Paudel crossed the 1000 runs mark in ODI after his vital 72 runs in the chase. He is the first Nepali player to achieve the milestone. The 20-year-old is also the leading run-scorer and a player with the highest number of fifties in ODI for Nepal. When asked how many runs you could score at the end of the career, Rohit replied cheekily, saying, “This is just a start. I’ve set a goal, but I can’t reveal it now”.
3. Kushal Bhurtel becomes the third Nepali batter to score a ton in both formats
Kushal Bhurtel notched up his maiden ODI ton, becoming the fourth Nepali batter to do so. He also joined Paras Khadka and Dipendra Singh Airee in the elite list of batters with a ton in both ODI and T20I. Bhurtel hammered 104* against the Philippines in February 2022.
4. Highest Partnership for any wicket
Skipper Rohit Paudel and Kushal Bhurtel shared a 133-run stand for the third wicket, the highest ODI partnership for Nepal. The previous best was 129 by Dipendra Singh Airee and Dev Khanal against PNG. Only seven times Nepali batting duo have added a century stand in ODI cricket. Rohit Paudel and Aarif Sheikh together have twice done so.
5. Third fifer for Karan KC
Karan KC had another Valentine’s day to remember after a remarkable performance against Namibia. Taking a wicket in the very last ball of the inning, the speedster bagged his third ODI five-wicket haul. His previous fifers came against Oman in June 2022 in the same series. Apart from Karan, Sandeep Lamichhane twice, and Sompal Kami once have grabbed a fifer for Nepal.