Nepal earned a place in the semifinals of the Women’s U-19 Asia Cup by triumphing over Pakistan by six wickets in an exciting match at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday.
Pakistan, having won the toss and elected to bat first, set a modest score of 104/5 in their designated 20 overs. Pakistan’s leading scorer was Komal Khan, who scored 38 runs from 44 balls, including two boundaries. Maham Anis finished not out with 29 runs, and Ravail Farhan added 13 runs.
In response, Nepal achieved the goal, ending with a score of 105/4 in 19 overs. Captain Puja Mahato spearheaded the pursuit with a remarkable 47 not out from 47 balls, featuring three fours. She received strong backing from Sana Parveen (10), Sony Pakhrin (13), and Simana KC, who stayed not out on 12.
Pakistan’s bowlers, Fatima Khan and Quratulain Ahsen, each took one wicket, yet they were unable to halt Nepal’s consistent pursuit.
Initially, during their batting innings, Pakistan found it difficult to increase their scoring pace following an early collapse, while Nepal’s bowlers, spearheaded by captain Puja Mahato, maintained the pressure. Puja excelled as the top bowler, taking two wickets, while Rachana Kumari Chaudhary, Riya Sharma, and Simana KC each secured one wicket.
With this victory, Nepal moved on to the semifinals as the top team in Group A, having beaten Pakistan in both of their group encounters. They will confront India in the semifinal on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, teams in Group B, such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, are still competing for semifinal positions.
