In a match filled with twists and turns, Afghanistan Under-19 fell agonizingly short once again as Nepal Under-19 secured a thrilling 1 wicket win in the U19 World Cup. Aakash Chand’s outstanding bowling spell, coupled with skipper Dev Khanal’s resilient knock, played pivotal roles in Nepal’s triumph, also landing them a spot in the upcoming Super Six stage of the tournament.
Nepalese bowlers came alive early in the game, seizing five quick wickets inside the opening powerplay. Despite the setback, Afghanistan fought back valiantly, recovering from 34 for 5 in the 10th over and finished with a commendable 145 runs before being bowled out. Nepal’s Aakash Chand emerged as the standout bowler for the Nepalese, claiming a remarkable five wickets and breaking the backbone of the Afghan batting unit.
Chasing a modest target, Nepal Under-19 faced early setbacks too, losing three wickets within the first nine overs for just 24 runs. Nepal’s skipper Dev Khanal displayed incredible composure under immense pressure, stitching together a half century and crucial 4th-wicket partnership with Tripathi. The middle order stuttered once again, but a resilient 7th-wicket stand of 36 runs between skipper Dev Khanal and Dipak Bohara steadied the ship yet again. Afghanistan Under-19, refused to concede and then struck back with more wickets, setting the stage for a thrilling climax. Unfortunately for the Afghan’s the last-wicket partnership of 5 runs between Tilak and Subash Bhandari became the deciding factor, securing victory for Nepal with 5 overs to spare.
Chief Scores :
Afghanistan U19 – 145 for 10 in 40.1 overs (Allah Ghazanfar 37, Naseer Khan 31, Faridoon Dawoodzai 29, Akash Chand 5 for 34, Dipesh Prasad Kandel 2 for 17, Subash Bhandari 1 for 15)
Nepal U19 – 149 for 9 in 44.4 overs (Dev Khanal 58, Dipak Bohara 27, Aakash Tripathi 16, Faridoon Dawoodzai 3 for 21, Naseer Khan 2 for 28, Khalel Ahmad 2 for 31)
