By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Nepal’s batsmen Rohit Kumar Poudel and Aarif Sheikh played a record-breaking innings with a century partnership in their first ODI match against Papua New Guinea on Friday.
Chasing a mammoth target of 293 runs, Nepal were 177-4 in 35 overs as the pair of Poudel and Sheikh played a 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket. By that time, Poudel was unbeaten on 79 runs off 77 balls that included 6 boundaries and a six while Sheikh (not out) managed 34 runs off 63 balls. It is the highest partnership for a century by any Nepali pair so far.
Prior to this, Nepal’s best was a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket against PNG during which the two players were at the crease.
Opener Anil Shah, who returned back in action after 2018, was dismissed cheaply as Sese Bau caught him off Norman Bhanua with the batsman scoring just a boundary from 21 balls. Dev Khanal, who made his debut for the national team, was out for a duck in the 9th over. Kushal Bhurtel was bowled out in the 10th over with his personal score of 32 runs. Nepal’s middle order batsman Dipendra Singh Airee also followed suit with his person score of 15 runs. Nepal was in a difficult situation until Poudel and Sheikh steered the innings with the century stand for the fifth wicket.
