NEPAL CRUSH OMAN BY 8 WICKETS, STORM INTO ASIAN GAMES QUALIFIERS FINAL

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s men’s national cricket team stormed into the final of the Asian Games Qualifiers after crushing Oman by 8 wickets in a one-sided semifinal clash in Singapore on Sunday.

Chasing a meager target of 95 runs, a ruthless Nepali batting lineup gunned down the total in just 9.2 overs. Explosive batter Lokesh Bam led the chase with a blistering, unbeaten 44 runs. Skipper Rohit Paudel played a steady knock of 21 runs, while opener Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with a quickfire 20 to seal the emphatic victory with more than 10 overs to spare.

Earlier, Oman won the toss and elected to bat first but collapsed under immense pressure, folding for a paltry 94 runs in 19.4 overs. Except for captain Sufyan Mehmood (38), Zubair Al Balushi (22), and Abdul Jalil (16), no other Omani batsmen could cross double digits.

Karan KC dismantled Oman’s batting order with a brilliant 3-wicket haul, while pace partner Sompal Kami and spin wizard Sandeep Lamichhane tore through the rest, picking up 2 wickets each.

Nepal will now face the winner of the Malaysia vs. Hong Kong semifinal in the ultimate title clash on Monday at 12:15 PM.