Nepal records a stunning eight-wicket win over the UAE to qualify for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 

Ajman. Nepal qualified for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 through a sterling performance on the final day of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2024 at the Seven District Sports Club in Ajman, UAE. They restricted UAE to 83 for 9 and won by eight wickets to emerge as champions. Nepal needed to reach the target in around 16.4 overs to surpass UAE’s run rate and qualify for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 to be held in Malaysia. Instead, they won in 14.4 overs.

Nepal finished with the same number of points (10 each) as the UAE, who were unbeaten till their last match. In fact, Nepal had even lost to UAE in the earlier round. However, they put up a spirited show on the final day despite losing the toss. Krishma Gurung bagged four wickets for 17 runs, well backed by Riya Sharma and Seemana KC with two wickets each to strangle UAE’s run flow.

Nepal’s batters Sana Praveen, who hit an unbeaten 35 and Sony Pakhrin (13n.o) held their nerves and carried their team to victory. They put on an unbeaten 38 runs for the third wicket despite losing their skipper and star performer Puja Mahato for 21.

Nepal will join Australia, Bangladesh, and Scotland in Group D. Sixteen teams have been divided into four groups to compete in the 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Nepal’s spirited bowling show

UAE, after winning the toss and electing to bat, lost an early wicket. Opener Emily Thomas got caught behind by wicketkeeper Sabitri Dhami for a duck off Krishma Gurung to the last ball of the second over. Skipper Samaira Dharnidharka joined the consistent Lavanya Keny. Nepal skipper Puja Mahato bowled a tight third over yielding just one run. By the end of the powerplay, UAE could muster only 22 runs.

Rachanna Kumari Chaudhary struck with the first ball of the seventh over to pick the valuable wicket of Keny, clean bowled for 10. Rinitha Rajith walked in and hit Chaudhry for a boundary. Dharnidharka too picked a boundary off Riya Sharma and by the half way mark UAE had posted 44 for 2.

The following overs turned out to be an intense battle between the bat and ball. Riya Sharma bowled a maiden 12th over. To make it tougher for UAE, Sharma clean bowled Rinitha for 20 with the fourth ball of the 15thover. With the last ball she also got Mehak Thakur caught by Gurung for a duck to push UAE to 63 for 4.

Indhuja Nandakumar then fell for 10 to Seemana KC in the 17th over. UAE’s hopes of crossing the 100 run mark faded when Dharnidharka got bowled by Gurung for 31. Her knock off 48 balls had only one boundary. Wickets then began to fall at a quick pace when Gurung went on to get Al Maseera Jahangir out for a duck and also clean bowl Rishitha Rajith for a duck. Avanee Sunil Patil too got out to Seema KC for 1. Mahato bowled a tight last over yielding just three runs to restrict UAE to 83 for 9 in 20 overs.

Nepal began their chase, needing to reach the target in 16.4 overs to surpass UAE’s run rate and qualify for the World Cup. Opener Sabitri Dhami and Sana Praveen scored 10 runs off the first over from Nandakumar. Thakur struck in the third over to dismiss Dhami for 12. Skipper Mahato joined Praveen. By the end of the powerplay, Nepal had posted 37 for 1.

Mahato hit two boundaries off Thakur’s seventh over but fell to the last ball of that over trapped leg before for 21. Pakhrin and Praveen then pushed the score with singles and doubles, refusing to play any rash shots, and ultimately took their team to the target.

Thailand’s impressive win over Kuwait

Thailand recorded their second consecutive win over Kuwait through Arrikan Phuengkho’s fine unbeaten knock of 84 off 63 balls with ten boundaries and opener Nattharika Thokoi’s unbeaten 59 runs off 56 balls with five boundaries. The pair posted 165 for 1 in 20 overs and restricted Kuwait to 61 for 4 in 20 overs. Phuengkho and Thokoi had put on an unbeaten 159 runs partnership for the second wicket.

Thailand had won the toss and elected to bat. They lost their opener and skipper Aphisara Suwanchonrathi to the fifth ball of the first over, caught behind by wicketkeeper Eshanvi Mohan Singh off Candice Dias for 5. Phuengkho and Thokoi took the score to 41 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. The pair kept accelerating the run flow and reached the 100 run mark in 14.1 overs .

Phuengkho was the first to reach her half century in 48 balls. She celebrated it by hitting three consecutive boundaries off Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar. Thokoi too reached her half century in 47 balls and the total reached the 150 mark in 18.2 overs. Phuengkho hit the last ball of the innings from Zeefa Jilani for a boundary to remain unbeaten, 16 runs short of her century, and register a winning total.

Kuwait began their chase with skipper Zeefa Jilani going for her shots. She scored all the 23 runs before falling to the last ball of the fourth over to Aphisara Suwanchonrathi. Her knock of 23 had four boundaries. Koranit Suwanchonrathi struck in the sixth over to clean bowl Ayesha Iqbal Pewekar for a duck. Opener Candice Dias, who scored her first run only in the seventh over, fell leg before to Thokoi in the 10th over for three runs.

Kuwait struggled for runs against Thailand’s tight bowling. Charukan Saema yielded just one run in the 11th over while Kesinee Kaewjumphol bowled a maiden 13th over. It took Kuwait 16.2 overs to reach the 50 run mark. Raelyn Maria D Souza kept the scoreboard moving and scored an unbeaten 17. Her partnership of 28 runs with Eshanvi Mohan Singh ended when Koranit Suwanchonrath got Singh caught by Thokoi for 6 off the fourth ball of the final over of the innings.

Brief scores:

Nepal bt UAE by 8 wkts. UAE 83 for 9 in 20 overs (Samaira Dharnidharka 31, Rinitha Rajith 20, Krishma Gurung 4 for 17, Riya Sharma 2 for 12, Seema KC 2 for 18) Nepal 86 for 2 in 14.4 overs (Sana Praveen 35n.o, Puja Mahato 21)
Player of the Match: Krishma Gurung

Player of the Series: Puja Mahato

Thailand bt Kuwait by 104 runs. Thailand 165 for 1 in 20 overs (Nattharika Thokoi 59n.o, Arrikan Phuengkho 84 n.o) Kuwait 61 for 4 in 20 overs (Zeefa Jilani 23, Raelyn Maria D Souza 17n.o, Koranit Suwanchonrathi 2 for 8)
Player of the Match: Arrikan Phuengkho