Nepal suffered a disappointing loss to the UAE in the ACC Premier Cup T-20 tournament semi-final, with a 6-wicket defeat ending their chances of qualifying for the Asia Cup.
Chasing a target of 120, the UAE reached the total in 17.2 overs, losing just 4 wickets. Opener Alishan Sharafu top-scored with 55 off 41 balls. Gulshan Jha claimed two wickets for Nepal, with Lalit Rajbanshi and Sompal Kami taking one each.
Earlier, Nepal struggled after being put into bat, managing only 119/9 in their 20 overs. Sandeep Jora led the scoring with 50, while UAE bowlers Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, and Ali Nasir each took two wickets.
Nepal had entered the semi-finals on the back of an unbeaten group stage but couldn’t repeat that success. They will now face either Oman or Hong Kong for third place on Saturday. The tournament winner will qualify for the Asia Cup, while the loser will play Nepal for a spot in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
