Oman and Nepal clinched their berths for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, with remarkable victories over Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the final of the Asia Qualifier 2023.
In a thrilling showdown, Oman and Nepal emerged victorious from the four teams, including Bahrain and UAE, that vied for T20 World Cup qualification in the Asia Qualifier 2023.
For the first time in history, the T20 World Cup will host 20 teams, divided into four groups of five each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, where the remaining teams will compete in two groups of four. The top two from each group will then progress to the semi-finals.
Oman made a resounding statement by securing their third appearance at the T20 World Cup, defeating Bahrain convincingly by 10 wickets. Bahrain won the toss and chose to bat, but the UAE’s sharp bowling left them struggling at 77/8 in the 16th over.
A late surge by Ahmed Bin Nisar (26*) pushed their total to 106/9 in 20 overs. Aqib Ilyas stole the show with a career-best 4/10 in four overs, while Shakeel Ahmed claimed 2/24.
Oman’s openers, Kashyap Prajapati (57 off 44) and Pratik Athavale (50 off 42), completed the chase by the 15th over, with Prajapati hitting six fours and two sixes, and Athavale notching six fours. Aqib Ilyas was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match for his stellar bowling performance.
Nepal, playing in front of their fervent supporters at the Mulpani Cricket Ground, outshone the United Arab Emirates by securing a ticket to the T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory. This marks Nepal’s second appearance in the global event.
UAE won the toss and chose to bat, with Vriitya Aravind’s valiant half-century (64) as the standout performance. However, Nepal’s disciplined bowling restricted them to 134/9. Kushal Malla’s left-arm spin earned him three crucial wickets, supported by Sandeep Lamichhane’s two breakthroughs, and Sompal Kami and Rohit Paudel adding one wicket each.
Nepal had a few early hiccups but stabilized with an unbeaten 68-run partnership between Aasif Sheikh (64 from 51) and Rohit Paudel (34 from 20), sealing the win. Aasif was named the Player of the Match for his unbeaten innings, featuring seven fours and a six.
The victorious teams will face off in a highly anticipated final at TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Sunday, 05 November.
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