Rohit Paudel had already done the hard part. Then he gave the crowd the finish it wanted.
With Nepal needing just two runs, the captain launched Michael Leask for six off the first ball of the 39th over Monday, sealing a six-wicket win over Scotland at the TU Cricket Ground in Kathmandu.
Nepal reached 195-4 in 38.1 overs, chasing down Scotland’s 194 with room to spare and giving its League 2 campaign another badly needed push.
Paudel walked off unbeaten on 74 from 98 balls. It was not a flashy innings from the start, but it was exactly the one Nepal needed. He absorbed pressure, picked his moments and stayed there long enough to finish the job.
He hit five fours and two sixes, the last one bringing the home crowd to its feet.
Nepal’s chase had begun with intent. Aasif Sheikh struck 29 from 17 balls, while Kushal Bhurtel made 28 from 27. Those early runs mattered. They kept Scotland from settling into the game and gave Nepal breathing room before the middle overs.
Ishan Pandey then played one of the most important innings of the match. Batting in the middle order, he scored 55 from 61 balls, with five fours and two sixes.
For Pandey, it was a personal milestone as well — his first ODI half-century, coming in only his second match for Nepal.
Scotland did find moments with the ball, but not enough of them. Mark Watt was the pick of the attack with 2-39. Brandon McMullen also took one wicket.
The win, though, was built earlier in the day.
Nepal won the toss, chose to field and kept Scotland from turning a few promising innings into a commanding total. Scotland was bowled out for 194 in 39.1 overs.
Lalit Rajbanshi led the bowling effort with 4-32 from eight overs. He did the real damage through the middle and lower order, taking away Scotland’s chance to stretch the innings.
Sandeep Lamichhane backed him up with 3-47 from his full 10 overs. Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Airee and Nandan Yadav took one wicket each.
Scotland’s best resistance came from McMullen, who hit 73 from just 44 balls. His innings had power and urgency, with six fours and six sixes.
Michael English added 51 from 72 balls, giving Scotland some stability. George Munsey made 21, and Watt chipped in with 20. But once Nepal broke through, Scotland could not fully recover.
For Nepal, the result added another turn to a home tri-series that began painfully. The team had lost to Scotland by two runs under the DLS method in its opener, then responded by chasing 196 against the United States.
Monday’s win over the table-toppers carried more weight. It lifted Nepal to fifth in the League 2 standings, ahead of Canada and Namibia.
Nepal will face the United States on Friday in its final match of the current home tri-series. The road is still narrow, but Nepal remains in the hunt for a direct place in the World Cup Qualifiers if it can win its remaining nine matches in the tournament cycle.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
