Nepal’s national cricket team has made history with a stunning victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the ICC World Cup League-2 triangular ODI series. In the final match of the series, the team beat the UAE by nine runs according to Duckworth-Lewis method, securing a place in the ODI World Cup qualifiers. Nepal’s success in this match was all the more remarkable considering that they were chasing a mammoth target of 311 runs.
This win has come as a great moment of pride for the Nepali nation, especially since the team has won 11 out of the last 12 matches. Such an impressive record speaks volumes about the form the team is currently in. The team’s performance has been top-notch, and they have taken two points from the fixture, beating Namibia in their group by a single point. Nepal will join Oman, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe in the World Cup Qualifier in June, with two spots still to be decided in the Qualifier Play-Off later this month.
Some critics are saying that Nepal was favored by the weather, and thus, the team’s win is being discredited. However, this argument seems baseless as Nepal was in a solid position at 269 for 6 when the game was stopped due to bad light after the 44th over. The team needed to score just 42 runs from 36 balls with four wickets to spare. This means the situation provided Nepal with a more than fair chance to win the game even if it were played out till the last ball. After all, the team is in superb form and has lost only one of its last 12 international fixtures. Therefore, it would be unjust to give the credit for Nepal’s thrilling victory to the weather.
Another issue that has been raised is the participation of former skipper Sandeep Lamichhane, who has been accused of rape, in the games without being cleared of the charge. While the argument that Lamichhane should not have been allowed to come back to the field before being cleared of the rape charge against him is valid, it is crucial to remember that he is innocent until proven guilty. So it seems both the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the Supreme Court have given Lamichhane the benefit of the doubt when they allowed him to come back to the field and play domestic as well as international matches at home or abroad. This also shows that the evidence the prosecutors have produced against him may not be that strong. So, if Lamichhane is ultimately proven innocent, not allowing him to play would be a grave injustice to him and a great loss to Nepali cricket.
Despite these issues, the future of Nepali cricket looks very promising. The country has made tremendous progress in the game within a short period compared to other nations. The popularity of the sport has risen very rapidly in Nepal. This victory will undoubtedly inspire many young people in the country to pursue cricket as a career, and it will motivate those talents who want to play cricket but decide otherwise because they believe that “there is no future in sports in Nepal.” Meanwhile, both the provincial and federal governments have done well to announce cash rewards for the victorious team. This will undoubtedly aid in motivating the players and show some hope to those talents who want to play cricket.
As a newspaper, we congratulate the entire team, including the coaches, team and CAN officials, for this breakthrough success. The team’s hard work and dedication have paid off, and they have made the Nepali nation proud. We wish them all the best for the World Cup Qualifiers, which are just about two months away.
The victory over the UAE is a remarkable achievement, and the team deserves all the praise and appreciation they are receiving. It is essential to recognize the effort that has gone into achieving this success. Nepal’s cricket team has become a symbol of hope, unity, and resilience for the Nepali people. We hope that the team continues to work hard and make the country proud by performing well in the upcoming tournament. Congratulations once again to the team for this remarkable achievement!