On Friday (July 19), Nepal Women celebrated a landmark achievement at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, as they secured their maiden victory in the Women’s Asia Cup. They delivered a commanding performance to defeat United Arab Emirates (UAE) Women by 6 wickets with 23 balls to spare in their Group A encounter.

Indu Barma’s bowling brilliance limits UAE to modest score

In the first innings, UAE’s batting effort was thwarted by a disciplined Nepalese bowling attack, led by Indu Barma. After UAE Women won the toss and chose to bat, their openers Esha Oza and Theertha Satish were unable to provide a stable start. Oza was dismissed for 10 runs, run out, and Satish followed soon after, caught and bowled by Barma for just 9 runs. Despite some resistance from Kavisha Egodage (22 off 26 balls) and Khushi Sharma (36 off 39 balls), the UAE innings struggled to gain momentum. Barma’s standout performance included 3 crucial wickets for just 19 runs in her 4-over spell, effectively dismantling the UAE batting lineup and restricting them to a total of 115/8 in 20 overs.

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Samjhana Khadka’s match-winning knock secures historic win for Nepal

In response to the modest target of 116, Nepal embarked on their chase with a measured approach. Despite losing Sita Rana Magar early for 7 runs, Samjhana Khadka emerged as the hero of the innings. Khadka played a match-winning knock, scoring 72 runs off 45 balls with 11 boundaries, showcasing both power and precision. Her commanding innings kept Nepal on track throughout the chase. With valuable support from Rubina Chhetry and Puja Mahato, who contributed crucial runs, Nepal reached their target comfortably. They achieved the victory at 118/4 in 16.1 overs, marking a historic milestone as they secured their first-ever win in the Women’s Asia Cup.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.