KATHMANDU: Nepal registered a five-wicket victory over Himanchal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) team in their practice match organised by the Indian cricket board at the Dharamshala cricket grounds on Sunday. Nepal skipper Paras Khadka opted to field first after he won the toss and restricted HPCA for 143-7 in 20 overs before reaching 144-5 in 20 overs. Himanchal made a cautious start with openers Nakul Raj and Raghav Dhawan scoring 59 runs in the first 10 overs. Raj scored 20 off 29 balls with a four and six before being stumped by Subash Khakurel off Basanta Regmi. Dhawan then added 40 runs with Abhimanyu Rana for the second wicket. Rana struck two fours and a six in his quickfire 21 off just 12 balls. Dhawan, the Ranji Trophy player from the region, scored 54 off 44 balls hitting nine fours. Another Ranji player Amit Kumar scored 19 runs, while Amit Thakur made 12 runs. Basanta Regmi claimed 3-27 in four overs, while Sompal Kami and Jitendra Mukhiya took a wicket each for the visiting team. In reply, Nepal openers Subash Khakurel and Sagar Pun scored 54 runs in eight overs that laid the foundation for the victory. Khakurel scored 29 off 27 balls with five boundaries, while Pun struck three fours in his 29-ball 23. Nepal were 72-2 at one stage before slumping to 97-5 in 16 overs with the team needing 47 runs in 24 balls. Hard-hitter Pradeep Airee, who made a comeback in the national side, struck three fours in his quickfire 23 off 12 balls, while Sharad Vesawakar stood firm at the other end hitting 17 off 13 balls that included a four and a six. The duo took the team home in the last ball without further loss. Aakash Sharma claimed 3-20, while Raghav Dhawan and Gurwinder Singh took a wicket each for the home team. The Nepali team is in India in a 15-day tour — hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India — to prepare for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers slated for July 6-26 in Ireland and Scotland. The team is scheduled to return home on June 20 before leaving for UK three days later for final preparations. They will play four practice matches against local sides in England.