By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu (Hamro Khelkud) – A below-par batting performance has left Nepal with a loss in their first ICC T20 World Cup 2024 outing in Texas. The batting unit posted a very low score for the bowlers to work with as a spirited defense ended in defeat.
Batting first in a tricky wicket at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Nepal posted a total of 106 runs, being bundled over in the final over. Skipper Rohit Paudel continued his good form with a steady 35 off 37. Karan KC’s flurry of 17 off 12 was aided by Gulshan Jha’s 14 off 15. Anil Sah was the only other batter to get to double figures with his 11 runs.
Dutch left-arm off-break bowler Tim Pringle troubled Nepal from very early on in the match and took three wickets alongside Logan van Beek who took three of his own. Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede chipped in with a couple of wickets each.
In reply, the Dutch reached the target with eight balls to spare, losing just four wickets. Max O’Dowd reached a half-century with a well-made unbeaten 54 off 48. Vikramjit Singh added 22 runs to the total while Sybrand Engelbrecht made 14 runs of his own.
Nepal’s Sompal Kami, Abinash Bohora and Dipendra Singh Airee took one wicket each.
Nepal will travel to Florida for the second encounter against Sri Lanka in a week’s time before heading for the West Indies to face South Africa and Bangladesh in Group D.
