Dubai — Nepal's cricket team continued their impressive Asia Cup Qualifier campaign with a dominant 7-wicket win over UAE, chasing down a target of 187 with 14 balls to spare.
Opener Kushal Malla top-scored with 87 off 61 balls, playing an innings that reminded observers of why he was named ICC's Emerging Player of the Year. Sandeep Lamichhane, back from his legal battles and bowling with visible hunger, claimed 3 wickets for 28 runs.
The NepaliWave cricket desk notes the atmosphere in Nepal: search trends for 'Nepal cricket' have spiked 340% this week, and #NepaliCricket is trending across all platforms. The national team has never qualified for the Asia Cup main event — this tournament is the closest they've come.
Coach Monty Desai was measured in his post-match assessment: 'UAE was a good win. Afghanistan is a different conversation. We respect what they've built. We're preparing for a 50-over battle.'
Afghanistan have already qualified for the main event from Group A. Sunday's match — technically inconsequential for Afghanistan — is do-or-die for Nepal. If Nepal win, they make history.