Nepal has made a winning start in the ACC Premier Cup, thanks to a stellar performance by its bowlers, including captain Sandeep Lamichhane. In the match concluded on Monday afternoon at the YSD UKM Oval in Malaysia, Nepal secured a seven-wicket victory over Bahrain.
Nepal successfully chased the target of 88 runs set by Bahrain, losing three wickets. Arjun Kumal remained unbeaten with 36 runs, and Rohit Paudel was not out with 19 runs, guiding their team to victory.
For Bahrain, Imran Javed took two wickets, while Nepal lost another wicket via a run-out during their chase.
Lamichhane’s Five-Wicket Haul Dominates Bahrain Batting
Earlier, after captain Sandeep Lamichhane took five wickets, Bahrain, who were invited to bat first after losing the toss, were all out for just 87 runs in 36.2 overs.
Sandeep delivered an exceptional spell, claiming five wickets for just 14 runs in his 10 overs. He was well-supported by Lalit Rajbanshi, who took three wickets, and Karan KC, who secured two wickets, dismantling the Bahraini batting lineup.
For Bahrain, Fiyaz Ahmed scored the highest with 15 runs. Muhammad Wasim made 13 runs, and Ali Dawood contributed 10 runs, but no other batsman could make a significant impact against the Nepali bowlers.
Sandeep, who started his bowling in the 14th over, made an immediate impact by taking a wicket on his very first ball and another on his fourth delivery. He continued his dominance, taking one wicket in his fifth over, followed by one wicket each in his seventh and eighth overs, completing his impressive five-wicket haul.
Nepal will play its second match in the tournament against Malaysia on Thursday.
