Nepal stun West Indies in their maiden win against a full-member nation
They have failed to earn qualification for the Asia Cup. Still, Nepal created the biggest moment in their cricketing history on Saturday night in Sharjah. They pulled off a 19-run victory over two-time T-20 World Cup champions West Indies to register their first-ever win against a Full Member nation. It was Nepal’s first T-20I meeting with the West Indies, their first bilateral series against a full member nation of the ICC, and they made it unforgettable by outplaying the West Indies in every department. Six of their batters cleared the ropes, six of their bowlers picked up wickets, and the fielding, marked by direct hits and bullet throws, never let the Caribbean side settle. Opting to bowl first, West Indies made early inroads through Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein, reducing Nepal to 12 for 2. But captain Rohit Paudel (38 off 35) and Kushal Malla (30 off 21) stitched together a vital 58-run stand. Their partnership gave Nepal momentum after a sluggish start, while Gulsan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee added valuable runs in the middle overs. Holder was outstanding with 4 for 20, and debutant Navin Bidaisee impressed with 3 for 29, but sloppy catching meant Nepal still finished with a competitive 148 for 8. Chasing 149, the West Indies innings never took shape. Kyle Mayers was run out early, debutant Ackeem Auguste’s cameo ended quickly, and the spinners tightened the screws. Kushal Bhurtel starred with 2 for 17, while Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Dipendra Airee, and Nandan Yadav all chipped in. Despite a late charge from Fabian Allen (19) and Akeal Hosein (18 off 9), West Indies, folded to 129 for 9 in 20 overs. Nepal’s discipline was the story of the night. Their bowlers held their nerve, the fielders pulled off crucial run-outs, and when Hosein threatened at the death, Karan KC snuffed out the fight. Paudel was named Player of the Match for his 38 with the bat and the wicket of Jewel Andrew.
‘Let them do whatever, we will follow our protocol,’ says Salman Agha before the Asia Cup final
For the first time, ahead of the Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan today in Dubai, Pakistan captain Salman Agha opened up about the ‘no handshake’ controversy that has already rocked the cricket fraternity. While speaking at the media conference, Salman described the situation as ‘unprecedented’ and stated that he has not seen or heard anything like this before in his life. “I have been playing cricket since 2007, and I have never seen two teams don’t shake hands. All I have heard is that such an incident has never occurred.” He added, “Previously too, India and Pakistan matches have taken place, when situations were worse than this one, and then also handshakes used to happen. This is not good for cricket.” Rumors are also there that there will be no ‘captain’s photo shoot’ ahead of the final. While reacting to this question, the Pakistan skipper had a simple response. “Let them do whatever, we will follow our protocol. It is up to them. We can’t do anything about that.” Meanwhile, there is still no clarity on the captain’s photo shoot, anyway. Coming to the cricket aspect, India and Pakistan have played two matches so far in the Asia Cup, where India have won both, convincingly. Still, it is not going to be simply a cricket match. The electric game in Dubai will be treated as a proxy war. For all those naive people who say, ‘sports should not mix with politics,’ they also realize that they have already been drawn into the warmth of this high-voltage match. India must be desperate to clinch the title, as both teams will be playing in the final for the first time in the Asia Cup.
India clinch seventh Under-17 SAFF Championship title, edge past Bangladesh in tie-breaker
In an exciting final, India, holding their nerve, edged past Bangladesh 4-1 in a penalty shootout, securing its seventh SAFF Under-17 title at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo on Saturday. After the 90-minute regulation ended 2-2, the shootout began. Dallalmuon Gangte, Korou Meitei Konthoujam, and Indra Rana Magar converted with aplomb before Shubham Poonia slotted home the decisive fourth kick for India. In contrast, Bangladesh crumbled under pressure, with only Md Manik converting from their three attempts. This victory also marked the fifth SAFF title for India’s coach, Bibano Fernandes, and the second in less than five months, adding to the SAFF U19 crown won in Arunachal Pradesh in May.
