BY A STAFF REPORTER, Kathmandu, Oct. 18: Nepal suffered a 24-run defeat against Canada in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 on Saturday, failing to chase a target of 257 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
The defeat dealt a setback to Nepal’s campaign to finish in the top six and retain their One-Day International (ODI) status.
Nepal, who had beaten Canada by 24 runs in their first meeting of the series and then defeated hosts Oman by 113 runs, were unable to repeat those performances against a
Opted to bat first after winning the toss, Canada’s innings was built around a century from opener Yuvraj Samra, who scored 105 from 117 balls, striking 11 fours and 4 sixes.
Samra anchored the innings through the middle overs after Aaron Johnson contributed 36 off 53 balls. Samit Gohel made 17, while Harsh Thaker added a patient 34 from 57 deliveries.
Captain Hamza Tariq then lifted the scoring rate with 30 off 26 balls, helping Canada build a competitive total despite wickets falling in the latter stages. Canada were eventually all out for 256 in 50 overs.
Nepal’s bowlers shared the work, with Lalit Rajbanshi taking four wickets and Captain Sandeep Lamichhane claiming three.
Dipendra Singh Airee picked up two wickets, while Rohit Paudel accounted for Gohel. However, Samra’s innings gave Canada the platform they needed, and Nepal were left chasing 257 to win.
Nepal’s reply depended heavily on Arjun Kumal, who top-scored with 87 from 112 balls. He held the innings together while wickets fell at the other end, but the home side could not build the partnerships needed to stay on course.
Aasif Sheikh made 20 and Ishan Pandey scored 21, while Paudel, whose performance in the last two games had been commendable was dismissed for 18.
Dipendra offered resistance with 27, and Gulsan Jha added 21, but neither could turn the chase around. Karan KC remained unbeaten on 17, yet Nepal were bowled out for 232, falling 24 runs short of the target.
The defeat has immediate consequences for Nepal’s League 2 campaign. Before the match, Nepal had 28 points from 34 games, one point ahead of Canada, who had played 35 matches. The result takes Canada to 29 points from 36 games, while Nepal remain on 28 from 35 and could slip below their rivals in the standings.
Nepal now have one league match remaining, against Oman on October 19. A win would take them to 30 points and strengthen their prospects of finishing in the top six; another defeat would leave their position more precarious.
Nepal had already fallen out of contention for a top-four League 2 finish, which secures direct entry to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier for 2027.
The lower-ranked teams must instead go through the Qualifier Play-off, making Nepal’s final league position important to their route forward in international one-day cricket.
With one match left, Nepal need a more complete batting performance, stronger partnerships and a disciplined bowling effort to close the Oman campaign positively and protect their longer-term ODI prospects.
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