Nepal’s under-19 cricket squad experienced a second back-to-back loss in the ACC under-19 Asia Cup, being defeated by Bangladesh by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Nepal batted first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and scored 141 runs in 45.4 overs after losing the toss. In his 77-ball innings, opener Akash Tripathi scored the most runs for Nepal with a consistent 43 runs, including five boundaries. Wicketkeeper Uttam Thapa Magar and Abishek Tiwari both scored 29 runs each, while the rest of the batting order struggled to score above ten runs.
The bowling line-up of Bangladesh was spearheaded by Mohammad Rijan Hossain, Mohammad Al Fahad, and Mohammad Iqbal Hasan Emon, all claiming two wickets each. Saad Islam Razin, Rafi Uzman Rafi, and Azizul Hakimi Tamim each contributed with one wicket.
In reply, Bangladesh easily reached 145 for the loss of five wickets in 28.4 overs while chasing the target of 142 runs. A vital 90-run collaboration between Mohammad Azizul Hakimi Tamim (scoring 52) and Jawad Abrar (scoring 59) for the second wicket set the stage for their victory. Even though Yuvraj Khatri of Nepal took four wickets for 23 runs in six overs, his performance was not enough to prevent the team from losing.
Nepal also suffered a defeat in their first match against Sri Lanka on Friday. The team is set to take on Afghanistan in their last group-stage game on Tuesday.
