Nepal failed to create history

In a nail-biting World Cup match, South Africa clinched the group champion title by narrowly defeating Nepal by 1 run. Despite coming agonizingly close to a historic victory, Nepal's dreams were shattered. They had to face defeat even after creating numerous opportunities. This heartbreaking loss not only dashed their dreams but also knocked Nepal out of the Super Eight race.

Failing to meet a simple equation, the Asian nation lost the match in an unbelievable manner. For the first time, they were on the verge of defeating the Proteas, needing only 8 runs in the final over. Gulshan Jha hit a boundary on the third delivery after two dot balls, followed by a double on the next ball. With 2 runs required off the last two balls, Gulshan, who was on strike, failed to deliver. Pacer Ottneil Bartman bowled two bouncers, putting Gulshan in trouble. He couldn't connect the bat to the last ball and was run out attempting to tie the match. Consequently, Nepal and Gulshan had to endure the agony of a 1-run defeat.

Gulshan Jha couldn't make contact with the bat on the final ball. He started his run a bit late and ended up being run out. Nepal's boat sank just as it reached the shore. If they could have managed to score 2 runs off the last ball, Nepal would have remained in the race for the Super Eight. The match between Bangladesh and Nepal on the 17th would have become an unofficial semi-final for the next round. However, Nepal's 1-run loss unofficially secured Bangladesh's ticket to the next round. The batter Gulshan Jha couldn't accept the fact that they lost a match they were on the verge of winning.

Earlier, having lost the toss, South Africa batted first and couldn't score more than 115 runs for 7 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. The highest score of 43 came from opener Reeza Hendricks. Nepal's two spinners, Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee, rendered the Proteas' strong batting line-up ineffective with their spin. Kushal took 4 wickets for just 19 runs in his 4 overs. Airee claimed 3 wickets. However, debutant Sandeep Lamichhane remained wicketless in his first World Cup match.

Chasing an easy target, Nepal's two openers played cautiously through the first powerplay, scoring 32 runs in 6 overs. However, Tabraiz Shamsi came into action in the 8th over of the innings and immediately took two wickets. Opener Kushal Bhurtel was out for 13 runs, and captain Rohit, who came in at number three, was dismissed for a duck. Another opener, Arif Sheikh, played brilliantly but lost his wicket for 42 runs to Shamsi's spin. Shamsi bowled all three of Nepal's top-order batsmen.

Ultimately, Nepal's innings ended at 114 for 7. They couldn't write history by scoring 8 runs in the final over. On the contrary, South Africa emerged as Group 'D' champions with 4 wins from 4 matches.