Nepal held their nerve to beat Oman by 10 runs in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series on Monday, defending a target of 281 after the hosts mounted a strong chase at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, Nepal posted 280 runs before restricting Oman to 270-7 in their allotted 50 overs. The result marked Nepal’s third victory in the ongoing series and lifted them to sixth place in the League 2 standings.
Oman’s chase was kept alive by half-centuries from Jatinder Singh and Hammad Mirza, who scored 89 and 87 respectively. The pair threatened to take the game away from Nepal, but the home side fell short despite their substantial contributions.
Hassnain Shah remained unbeaten on 40, while Hasnain Ul Wahab made 15 and captain Vinayak Shukla added 13. Oman finished 10 runs short of the target, with Nepal’s bowlers managing to contain the scoring in the closing stages.
Dipendra Singh Airee and Lalit Rajbanshi claimed two wickets apiece for Nepal. Captain Sandeep Lamichhane and Nandan Yadav took one wicket each.
Earlier, Nepal’s innings was built around three half-centuries, with captain Rohit Paudel leading the way with a composed 80 off 81 balls. His innings included two fours and two sixes and provided the foundation for Nepal’s competitive total.
Earlier, Nepal’s innings was built around three half-centuries, with captain Rohit Paudel leading the way with a composed 80 off 81 balls. His innings included two fours and two sixes and provided the foundation for Nepal’s competitive total.
Airee contributed 69 off 62 deliveries, striking four sixes and three fours, while Dev Khanal scored 57 off 65 balls, including four fours and a six. Their contributions helped Nepal maintain momentum through the middle overs and set Oman a challenging target.
Ishan Pandey chipped in with 29 runs, and Bashir Ahmad added 17 as Nepal completed their innings. Oman’s Shah Faisal was the standout bowler, taking five wickets to restrict Nepal’s scoring.
The victory takes Nepal to 30 points from 36 matches in the ongoing League 2 campaign. They have won 14 games, lost 20 and shared points in two matches.
With the competition providing a pathway towards qualification for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, every result remains important for Nepal as they seek to improve their position in the standings.