Thu Apr 10 06:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Nepal’s Cricket Teams Celebrate Double Victory
**Kathmandu, Nepal** – Nepal enjoyed a double celebration on Wednesday as both its senior and under-19 men’s cricket teams secured impressive victories. The senior team launched their international return after a five-month break with a convincing win over Qatar in the Hong Kong quadrangular series, while the U-19 team snatched a consolation victory against Afghanistan in the final ODI of their three-match series in Kathmandu.
The senior team chased down Qatar’s 152 runs with eight wickets and 18 balls to spare. Despite a strong start by Qatar’s Ikramullah Khan (50+) and Shahzaib Jamil (31), Nepal’s bowlers, led by Nandan Yadav (who made his T20I debut), restricted their opponents. Nepal’s batsmen then delivered a powerful response, with Kushal Bhurtel (38) and Aasif Sheikh (33) setting the pace before Rohit Kumar Paudel and Basir Ahamad guided the team to victory. Nepal will next face Kuwait and Hong Kong on April 10th and 12th respectively.
Meanwhile, the U-19 team overcame a challenging series against Afghanistan, securing a much-needed win in the final match. After losing the first two games, Nepal’s young stars turned the tables, restricting Afghanistan to 45/6 in 20 overs before rain intervened. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method was used to determine the result, awarding Nepal an 85-run victory. This win prevented a clean sweep by Afghanistan. Both series served as crucial preparation for the upcoming World Cup Asia Qualifier, which Nepal will host from April 13th, featuring Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman, and the UAE. The top team will progress to the 2026 World Cup.
First Piper 