Nepal captain Paras Khadka rose to the challenge when his team needed the most as he scored a fine century to help secure a four-wicket win and an ODI series triumph over the UAE in Dubai on Monday.
With the three-match series locked at 1-1, hosts UAE posted a healthy 254-6 batting first at the ICC Academy, thanks to a late charge by veteran batsman Shaiman Anwar (87 from 70 balls) and Mohammad Boota (59 from 31).
The late assault brought some respectability to UAE’s total after they were reduced to 2-2, with openers Chirag Suri and Ashfaq Ahmed out for duck. CP Rizwan also chipped in with a handy 45.
Captain Khadka was the pick of the Nepal bowlers as well, snaring 2-44 from his 10 overs, accounting for Anwar and Muhammad Usman.
In reply, UAE bowlers hit back hard, reducing the visitors to 129-4. Captain Mohammad Naveed kept a tight lid on the scoring, finishing on 1-38 from his nine overs with contributions from the rest of the attack.
But Khadka kept Nepal in the hunt. His 115 – the first by a Nepal batsman in ODIs – came off just 109 balls with 15 hits to the fence and one over it. With Khadka scoring the bulk of the runs, the total didn’t seem daunting. Even when the skipper was dismissed with the total on 215-6, Nepal didn’t lose their cool as Aarif Sheikh (21 not out) and seamer Sompal Kami (26 not out) steered them home for a four-wicket win.
