KATHMANDU : Nepal suffered a 24-run defeat against Canada in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 series on Saturday, leaving their hopes of securing a place in the top six dependent on victory in their final match against Oman.
Chasing a target of 257 runs at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Nepal were bowled out for 232 in 46 overs.
Opener Arjun Kumal was Nepal’s top scorer, making 87 runs off 112 balls, including four boundaries. However, his innings was not enough to prevent Nepal from losing the match.
Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 27 runs, while Ishan Pandey and Gulshan Jha scored 21 runs each. Aasif Sheikh made 20, captain Rohit Kumar Paudel scored 18, and Karan KC remained unbeaten on 17.
For Canada, Sukhjinder Singh claimed three wickets, while Kaleem Sana and Sheel Patel took two wickets each.
Earlier, Canada won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 256 runs in 50 overs before being bowled out.
Opener Yuvraaj Samra led Canada’s batting with a century, scoring 105 runs off 117 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes. It was his maiden century in One Day Internationals.
Aaron Johnson added 36 runs, Harsha Thakur scored 34, captain Hamza Tariq contributed 30, and Sumit Goyal made 17.
For Nepal, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi took four wickets, while captain Sandeep Lamichhane claimed three. Dipendra Singh Airee picked up two wickets, and Rohit Kumar Paudel took one.
The defeat has pushed Nepal down to seventh place in the Cricket World Cup League 2 standings. Nepal must win its final match against Oman to strengthen its chances of finishing in the top six.
Nepal are scheduled to face Oman on Monday in a crucial encounter that could determine their position in the competition.
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