Nepal clinched a dominant seven-wicket victory over Scotland

A competitive contest unfolded at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Scotland looked confident with the bat in the first innings, while Nepal’s disciplined bowling stood out later on. However, it was Nepal’s batters who truly shone in the chase. With four balls to spare and only three wickets down, Nepal sealed a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Scotland.

After being put in to bat, Scotland made a strong start, scoring 52 without loss in the powerplay. Although captain George Munsey departed for 27, the scoring rate did not slow down. At the end of 15 overs, Scotland were well placed at 131 for 1. Michael Jones was the backbone of the innings, smashing a brilliant 71 off 45 balls, including eight fours and three sixes.

Just when Scotland looked set for a big finish, Nepal’s medium-pacer Sompal Kami turned the game around. In the 16th over, he bowled Jones and then produced a superb return catch to dismiss Brandon McMullen in the same over. In the final five overs, Scotland managed only 39 runs and lost six wickets. Kami finished with impressive figures of 3 for 25 from his four overs, as Scotland were restricted to 170.

Chasing 171, Nepal began confidently. Openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh put together a 74-run partnership in 9.1 overs to provide a solid foundation. They scored 56 runs in the first six overs, easing the pressure early in the chase.

Scotland’s all-rounder Michael Leask, however, tried to pull things back. He broke the opening stand by dismissing Bhurtel for 43, then removed Aasif Sheikh, and also got rid of skipper Rohit Paudel to put Nepal under pressure. His three wickets briefly brought Scotland back into the contest.

Despite the fightback, Nepal kept their composure and comfortably chased down the target, winning the match with four balls remaining and only three wickets lost.