Nepal Defeats Oman in a Practice Match Ahead of ACC Premier Cup 2023

Nepal played Oman in a practice match on April 15 at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur as preparation for the upcoming ACC Premier Cup 2023. Nepali captain Rohit Paudel won the toss and elected to field first. Oman scored 246 runs with a loss of 9 wickets, but Nepal chased down the target in 44.3 overs with a loss of 5 wickets.

Nepal vs Oman Practise Match  Ahead of ACC Premier Cup 2023 
Photo - Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN)

First Inning Summary

Oman's Kashyap and Jatinder Singh opened the innings, and Oman lost their first wicket in 66 runs. Jatinder scored 17 runs then Kishore Mahato took his wicket. Then, in 67 runs, Oman lost another wicket as Aqib Ilyas. Pratish GC bowled him for 1 run. Another opener also went to the pavilion for 42 runs. This time again K Mahato took the wicket for Nepal.

Oman's remaining batsmen did not do well, with Mohammad Nadeem scoring only 9 runs, Ayaan Khan 7 runs, Adeel Shafique 2 runs, and Sandeep Goud 3 runs. Shoaib Khan played brilliantly, but the other end batsmen were getting out by Nepali bowlers. Naseem Khushi scored 23 runs for Oman, but K Mahato sent him back to the pavilion. Fayyaz Butt scored 7 runs and Kaleemullah remained not out with 1 run. Shoaib Khan remained not out with 89 runs, and he took Oman's score up to 246 runs after playing all 50 overs.

For Nepal, Kishor Mahato bowled brilliantly, picking up 3 wickets and conceding only 19 runs in his 8 overs spell. Pratish GC and Surya Tamang also bowled well and took 2-2 wickets for Nepal. Shyam Dhakal and Kushal Malla also got 1-1 wickets.

Second Inning Summary

For Nepal, Arjun Saud and Dev Khanal opened the innings. Dev Khanal couldn't do much for the team and was out for 5 runs. After losing the first wicket in 10 runs, Nepal lost another wicket in 41 runs, and Gyanendra Malla went for 15 runs. Then, Captain Rohit joined Arjun Saud in the crease, and both played beautifully. Both had a partnership of 114 runs for the third wicket. Arjun Saud scored 67 runs and was caught out on the ball by Zeeshan Maqsood in the 29th over.

Rohit Paudel completed his half-century, scoring 56 runs, then declared himself retired out to give other batsmen a chance to score some runs. Kushal Malla scored 8 runs and was also out by Maqsood. Dipendra Singh Airee played beautifully and completed his half-century before giving his wicket to Kaleemullah. He scored 59 runs in his inning. Sundeep Jora and Bhim Sharki finished the match, and Nepal won the game by 5 wickets. Sundeep Jora remained not out with 11 runs, while Bhim Sharki remained not out with 1 run.

Conclusion

Nepal won the practice match against Oman by 5 wickets in their preparation for the upcoming ACC Premier Cup 2023. Oman scored 246 runs with a loss of 9 wickets in their first inning. Nepal chased the target in 44.3 overs with a loss of 5 wickets. Kishor Mahato was the standout bowler for Nepal, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs in his 8 overs spell. Pratish GC, Surya Tamang, Shyam Dhakal, and Kushal Malla also contributed with 2-2 wickets each.

In the second inning, Arjun Saud and Dev Khanal opened the inning for Nepal but Khanal was dismissed early for 5 runs. Captain Rohit Paudel and Arjun Saud played beautifully, having a partnership of 114 runs for the third wicket. Rohit Paudel completed his half-century and declared himself retired out, giving a chance to other batsmen. Dipendra Singh Airee played beautifully and scored 59 runs in his inning, while Sundeep Jora and Bhim Sharki finished the match and won it for Nepal.

Overall, it was a great performance by Nepal and it will boost their confidence going into the ACC Premier Cup 2023. With the kind of form they have shown in this practice match, Nepal looks like a strong contender for the title. The team management will surely be happy with the performance of their players and will be looking forward to continuing their form in the upcoming tournament.