By a Staff Reporter
Muscat (Hamro Khelkud) – Nepal maintain their unbeaten streak in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Oman, securing their fourth consecutive win by defeating Saudi Arabia by six wickets. This victory places Nepal comfortably at the top of their group.
Chasing a target of 74 runs in a revised eight-over match due to a wet pitch, Nepal achieved victory with four balls to spare. Gulshan Jha led the charge with an unbeaten 32 off 19 balls, supported by Rohit Paudel’s quick 16 off 7 balls and Dipendra Singh Airee’s 17 off 9 balls.
Despite early setbacks, including opener Kushal Bhurtel’s duck, Nepal managed to secure the two points.
Saudi Arabia, needing a win to advance to the semifinals, fell short with Ishtiaq Ahmad taking two wickets and Usman Najeeb and Waji Ul Hassan claiming one wicket each. This loss enabled Hong Kong to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia posted a total of 73/7 after losing the toss and being invited to bat first. Abdul Waheed was the only notable contributor with 37 off 16 balls. Nepal’s Karan KC and Abinash Bohora took two wickets each, while Lalit Rajbanshi and Pratis GC chipped in with one wicket each.
Nepal will face the runners-up from Group B in the first semifinal on Friday, while Hong Kong will compete against the Group B winners for a spot in the final.
