Nepal on Thursday confirmed their spot for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as they defeated the UAE side in the final match of the triangular series of the World Cup League 2. The Nepalese team overcame a tough UAE challenge at the TU cricket ground by 9 runs (D/L method). They have leapfrogged Namibia to take the third spot in the Cricket World Cup League 2 to make it to the qualifiers.
UAE posted a big total of 311 on the board as Asif Khan made a historic century despite coming out to bat in the 38th over. Nepal did well to stay in contention of the chase but were jolted with regular wickets. When they needed 42 from 36 balls with half-centurion Gulsan Jha in the middle, the play was stopped due to bad light and it did not resume. Nepal were 9 runs ahead at the stoppage and were declared winners. They will play in the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Asif Khan produced a mouthwatering show, smashing a hundred off just 41 balls. UAE opener and captain Muhammad Waseem scored 63, while Aravind scored 94 as he carried UAE's batting. For Nepal, Dipendra Singh took two wickets. Asif Khan scripted history against Nepal as he slammed a 41-ball hundred, fasted by a batsman from an associate nation, and 4th highest in the history of international cricket. Khan played at a strike rate of over 240 and struck 11 sixes and four boundaries. With this knock, Asif has left behind the likes of Mark Boucher (44 balls), Brian Lara (45 balls), Jos Buttler (46 balls) and Virat Kohli (52 balls).
Coming out to chase, Nepal opener Kushal Bhurtel scored a fifty as some of the top-order batters fell cheaply. However, middle order batters, Bhim Sharki and Aarif Sheikh scored the fifties, before Gulshan Jha took over to remain unbeaten o
