KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 11

Dipendra Singh Airee scored a brilliant half century as Nepal defeated Oman in the Quadrangular T20I Series at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat today.

Batting first, Oman posted 135- 6 in their allotted 20 overs before Nepal reached 137-4 with three balls to spare. Ireland and the United Arab Emirates are the other two teams in the series, which is a part of practice for the ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers slated for February 18-24 in Muscat.

Chasing a modest target, Nepal lost openers Aasif Sheikh (14) and Pradeep Airee (four) in the fourth over with 22 runs on the board.

Gyanendra Malla and Airee then added 40 runs for the third wicket before the former skipper was run out for 13 runs.

Airee and Aarif Sheikh shared a 45-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take the team past three figures. Sheikh scored 20-ball 25 hitting three fours.

Former vice-captain Airee and Sharad Vesawkar then took the team home without further loss adding 30 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket.

Airee remained unbeaten on 73 off just 53 balls that included eight fours and a six, while Vesawkar scored run-a-ball four not out.

Kaleemullah took two wickets for the hosts, while Khawar Ali grabbed one.

Earlier, Nepal had reduced Oman to 68-4 inside 10 overs before skipper Zeeshan Maqsood and Mohammad Nadeem helped the hosts post a fighting total adding 61 runs for the fifth wicket.

Maqsood top scored for the team with 41-ball 43 hitting four boundaries and a six, while Nadeem struck two fours in his 30-ball 31.

Jatinder Singh scored 13, while Kashyap Prajapati, Shoaib Khan and Ayaan Khan contributed 11 runs each for the hosts. Abinash Bohara was the pick of the Nepali bowlers taking 3-26 from four overs, while Kamal Airee, Aarif Sheikh and skipper Sandeep Lamichhane bagged one each. Coach Pubudu Dassanayake handed T20I debuts to Sagar Dhakal and Bibek Yadav. Both the players did not get chance to bat in the match, while Dhakal failed to take wicket and conceded 36 runs in his threeover spell and Yadav gave away five in his one over.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.