An unbeaten fifty by opener Samjhana Khadka and pacer Indu Barma three-fer helped Nepal thrash UAE by six wickets in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2024.
Khadka (71 not out, 45b, 11×4) played a fine hand to take her side past the target of 116 in 16.1 overs.
The Emirates could not fight against the more experienced Nepal bowlers led by Barma (3/19), ending up at a below-par 115 for eight.
However, Nepal had to go through some anxious moments when they lost three wickets to off-spinner Kavisha Egodage (3/12) which temporarily halted their progress after the Power Play.
But Khadka singlehandedly guided Nepal’s chase, playing shots all over the park.
Following the historic victory, the winning team celebrated their achievement in their own style with tears, joy and triumph.
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It is pertinent to mention here that Nepal had played eight games at the Women’s Asia Cup in 2012 and 2016 combined, but couldn’t register a single win. Then they didn’t make the next two editions in 2018 and 2022.
They almost missed the bus for the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 too, but a late tweak in rules in March 2024 brought Nepal here, and now they have their first-ever win in the competition.
The eight-team Women’s Asia Cup 2024 will run from 19 to 28 July in Sri Lanka. The tournament’s eight teams are divided into two groups.
Group A comprises Pakistan, India, Nepal, and the UAE, while Group B includes Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and hosts Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the final set for 28 July.
