July 19th marked a historic day for Nepal's women's cricket team as they clinched their first-ever victory in the Women's Asia Cup. Facing the UAE in the tournament opener held in Dambulla, Nepal pulled off a stunning upset.
Nepal's historic win in Women's Asia Cup opener
This win holds special significance for Nepal. They previously participated in the 2012 and 2016 editions, playing a total of 8 matches without a win. Additionally, their inclusion in the 2024 tournament was almost uncertain due to rule changes. Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Nepal got off to a dream start, dismissing UAE's Esha Oza in the second over. The Nepali bowling attack, led by Indu Barma, kept the pressure on, consistently taking wickets and restricting the UAE batters.
UAE posts modest total, Nepal chase down target led by Khadka's heroics
Despite a valiant effort from Khushi Sharma (36 runs off 39 balls) and Kavisha Egodage (22 runs off 26 balls), the UAE innings folded at 115 for 8 wickets after 20 overs. Nepal's chase began with a bang. Opener Samjhana Khadka dominated the bowling attack, propelling the score to 39 runs within just 5 overs. However, the rest of the batting lineup faltered, with Magar, Kunwar, Barma, and Chhetri all dismissed for single-digit scores. Undeterred, Khadka shouldered the responsibility and steered Nepal towards victory. Her aggressive knock of 72 runs off just 45 deliveries included 11 boundaries. With 23 balls remaining, Nepal secured a convincing 6-wicket win, marking a historic moment for the team.
After notching their maiden win in the tournament's history, the elated Nepal captain Barma revealed that it was coach and her decision to make Khadka open which paid dividend for them.
"It's a great win and we are were happy. Thanks to CAN and our fans. It was our coach and captain's decision to make Samjhana open. We believe she can do well opening the batting. I am very happy with my team. They kept believing and I am very, very happy," said Barma at the post-match presentation.
Meanwhile, UAE skipper Esha Oza, after the loss said:
“It was a pretty decent wicket and we didn't post a par total. Everybody got a good start but we couldn't convert, and losing three wickets in the powerplay isn't an ideal start. At times we were bowling too short. There were too many bad balls.”
Nepal will next lock horns with Pakistan on July 21.
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