Nepal secured the ACC Premier Cup title for the third time after beating the United Arab Emirates by 44 runs in the final. The match was played at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.
The victory also gave Nepal a place in the 2027 ODI Asia Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh. Nepal have now qualified for the Asia Cup twice. Their first appearance came after they beat the UAE in the previous edition.
Aasif Sheikh leads Nepal to a strong total
Nepal won the toss and decided to bat first. They posted 313 for nine in their 50 overs.
Aasif Sheikh played a key role at the top of the order. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 102 runs from 106 balls. His innings included eight fours and four sixes. It was his second ODI century.
Gulshan Jha provided late momentum with a quick 52 from 38 balls. He hit four sixes and three fours.
Arjun Kumal also made a useful contribution with 43 runs. Rohit Kumar Paudel scored 40, while Dipendra Singh Airee added 18. Basir Ahmad remained unbeaten on 15.
Ibrar Ahmed was the best bowler for the UAE. He took four wickets. Khuzema Tanveer claimed two wickets.
The UAE needed 314 runs to win. However, they were bowled out for 269 in 49.1 overs.
Rahul Chopra was the standout batter for the UAE. He remained unbeaten on 100 from 105 balls. His knock included three fours and four sixes.
Shoaib Khan scored 52, while Tanish Suri made 42. Harpreet Singh added 33. But the UAE could not build enough partnerships.
Karan KC took three wickets for Nepal. Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi claimed two. Sandeep Lamichhane, Dipendra Singh Airee, Rohit Kumar Paudel and Gulshan Jha took one wicket each.
Nepal held their nerve to complete a 44-run win and book their place in the 2027 Asia Cup.
