Kathmandu — Nepal registered a hard-fought victory against Malaysia in the first T20 International practice match. In the match played on Wednesday at the Bayuemas Oval Ground in Kuala Lumpur, Nepal defeated Malaysia by two wickets. Chasing a modest target of 68 runs, Nepal reached the total in 17.3 overs, losing eight wickets in the process.
For Nepal, Samjhana Khadka top-scored with 32 runs, while Rubi Podar contributed 15 runs. No other batter managed to reach double figures. For Malaysia, Nur Qawshal claimed three wickets, while Elsa Hunter and Alsa Elisa took two wickets each. Nur Daniya picked up one wicket.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bat first, Malaysia were bowled out for 67 runs in 16.5 overs. Elsa Hunter was the only Malaysian batter to reach double digits, scoring 10 runs. For Nepal, Pooja Mahato starred with the ball, taking three wickets. Manisha Upadhyay and Riya Sharma claimed two wickets each, while Kabita Kunwar and Sita Rana Magar took one wicket apiece.
With this victory, Nepal have taken a 1–0 lead in the two-match series. The second match will be played on Friday. Nepal are playing the practice series in Malaysia as preparation for the Asian Games Qualifiers and the ACC Women’s Premier Cup. The Asian Games Qualifiers will be held in Malaysia from May 23 to 31, while the ACC Women’s Premier Cup is scheduled from June 1 to 13.
