By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Oct. 14: Nepal extended their winning momentum in the Oman leg of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 on Tuesday, securing a comprehensive 113-run victory over the hosts at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground to strengthen their bid for a top-six finish.
Opting to bat first, Nepal posted 263 for eight from their allotted 50 overs before dismantling Oman for 150 inside 40 overs.
Nepal opened with Arjun Kumal and Aasif Sheikh, who shared a 44-run stand for the first wicket. Kumal contributed 40 from 59 deliveries, while Sheikh chipped in with four.
Captain Rohit Paudel and Basir Ahamad consolidated the innings with an 86-run partnership. Ahamad played a fluent knock of 37 from 50 balls, striking four boundaries before falling.
Paudel anchored the innings brilliantly, compiling 61 from 67 balls with three fours and a six.
The knock marked his 13th One Day International (ODI) half-century and saw him become the 10th Associate player to cross the 2,500-run milestone in ODIs.
After reaching 177 for four at the end of the 40th over, Karan KC injected crucial momentum into the innings.
Striking with immense power, KC bludgeoned an unbeaten 40 from just 16 balls to elevate Nepal's total to 263.
Dipendra Singh Airee added a valuable 22. For Oman, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed, and Karan Sonavale claimed two wickets apiece.
Chasing 264, Oman suffered an immediate setback when KC dismissed opener Hasnain Ul Wahab for a duck.
Top-order batsmen Imran Ali, Hammad Mirza, and Sonavale failed to reach double figures as Nepal's bowling attack maintained tight control.
Oman offered brief resistance through an 83-run stand between captain Vinayak Shukla and Jay Odedra. Airee broke the partnership by removing Odedra for 25, while Shukla fought valiantly for a top-scoring 77 off 83 balls.
Despite surviving two dropped catches, Shukla eventually fell to Nandan Yadav.
Yadav and Skipper Sandeep Lamichhane claimed three wickets each, complemented by Airee's two wicket and tight spell from KC and Lalit Rajbanshi to bowl Oman out for 150 in 40 overs.
KC was named Player of the Match for his explosive cameo and economical bowling.
Reflecting on the defeat, Oman skipper Shukla admitted: "The conditions were pretty good, but we failed to execute our plans. Our first innings went according to plan."
Nepal skipper Lamichhane praised his side's execution: "Every win is special, and defeating the home team makes it even more special. Our first innings went well, and our bowling performance was even better."
The victory lifts Nepal to sixth position in the standings with 28 points.
Nepal's next fixtures see them face Canada on 17 October before a rematch against Oman on 19 October.
How did you feel after reading this news?