U-19 T20 World Cup: Nepal secures second consecutive win

Image Courtesy: Cricket Association of Nepal

KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 7: Nepal secured an impressive 108-run victory over Kuwait in their second match of the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier today at The Sevens Stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Nepal set a challenging target of 131 runs for Kuwait. Nepal's bowlers then delivered a dominant performance, restricting Kuwait to just 22 runs in 13 overs, as they lost all their wickets.

Kuwait’s captain, Zeefa Jilani, was the top scorer with 12 runs, hitting two boundaries off 17 balls. No other Kuwaiti batter managed to reach double digits. Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar was dismissed for only two runs from three balls, while Sarrah Jasvi made 4 off 12 balls. Ziniya Afroz and Swatiba Kuldeepsing Parmar both scored just one run each. The rest of the Kuwaiti lineup—Candice Jerica Dias, Raelyn Maria D’Souza, Ishanvi Mohan Singh, Pearl Serena Simon, Khadija Jahir Hussain, and Ameesha Ram Olacheri—failed to score.

For Nepal, Rachana Kumari Chaudhary and Seema KC each claimed a wicket, while captain Puja Mahato, Krishma Gurung, and Manisha Kumari Upadhyay each contributed with a wicket as well.

Earlier, Nepal posted a total of 130 runs in 20 overs, losing eight wickets. Captain Puja Mahato led the way with the bat, scoring 34 runs off 38 balls, including four boundaries. Sana Praveen contributed 25 runs from 18 balls with five boundaries, and Jyotsnika Marasini made 23 runs off 18 balls with one boundary. Sabitri Dhami and Soni Pakhrin each made 6 runs, while Seema KC scored 4 runs.

Krishma Gurung added a single run, and Rachana Kumari Sharma and Riya Sharma were dismissed for zero runs. Nepal also benefited from 16 extras in the innings.

For Kuwait, Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar took two wickets, while Zeefa Jilani and Ameesha Ram Olacheri each claimed one wicket.

This defeat marks Kuwait's second consecutive loss in the tournament, following a 106-run defeat to the UAE on Wednesday.

Nepal will face the UAE on Saturday. The top team from this competition will qualify for the World Cup, which will be held in Malaysia in 2025.