Hosts Nepal rounded off their group stage campaign in emphatic style with a comfortable win over underdogs Malaysia in their final game, a 68-run victory ensuring they will carry plenty of momentum into the Tri-Nations final against the Netherlands on Saturday.
T20I - TRI SERIES
Malaysia go down swinging as Nepal march on to Tri-Nations final
Nepal were too good for their opponents in the end © Getty
Nepal's top order had laid an excellent platform after being sent in to bat, reaching 147-3 by the end of the 15th over. A barnstorming 45 off 13 balls from Karan KC then lifted them to their second highest ever T20I score, their total of 217 for 7 only topped by the 236 they racked up against neighbouring Bhutan on the same ground at the 2019 South Asian Games. Malaysia had a creditable crack at the target, but Sompal Kami and debutant Kumal Singh Airee would strangle the chase, taking three wickets apiece and conceding just 36 runs between them as Malaysia bowed out bravely but 68 runs short.
Nepal's innings began in now-typically brisk fashion as Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel added 33 in the first four overs, but on the first ball of the fifth Bhurtel would be dismissed for under fifty for the first time in his brief T20I career, chasing a quicker ball angled across him by left armer Muhammad Wafiq and edging it to first slip. Skipper Gyanendra Malla joined Sheikh in the middle and the runs would continue to flow freely, each passing 40 in quick time before Anwar Rahman removed them both in the 12th over. Malla holing out to Wafiq at deep mid-wicket and Sheikh playing around a straight one to be pinned LBW.
Dipendra Singh Airee raced to 33 off just 15 balls before another double strike in the 16th saw him and Binod Bhandari back to the pavilion. Bhandari was the first to go, pulling left arm spinner Fitri Sham into the hands of Sharvin Muniandy tracking around the rope from long on to hold a fine running catch. Airee fell two balls later, looking to slash to the on side only to pop a looping edge to short backward point. There would be no respite for Malaysia however, as Karan KC came out swinging. Karan hit seven sixes from his first eleven balls as he raced to 44, just one hit away from equalling
