- Canada defeated Nepal by 24 runs in the League 2 clash, despite Arjun Kumal’s valiant 87-run knock for the Rhinos.
- Yuvraj Samra’s brilliant century propelled Canada to 256, while Nepal fell short, being bowled out for 232 in 46 overs.
- The defeat leaves Nepal seventh in the standings, confirming both teams will enter the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
- Nepal concludes their campaign against Oman on Monday, needing a win to potentially move up in the final tournament rankings.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal’s hopes of improving their position in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 standings suffered a setback on Saturday after Canada secured a 24-run victory at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
Canada posted 256 in 50 overs after batting first. Nepal, chasing 257 to win, were bowled out for 232 in 46 overs.
Yuvraj Samra struck a brilliant century to set up Canada’s total, while opening batter Arjun Kumal spearheaded Nepal’s chase with a valiant 87. Both batters played pivotal roles, but Samra received greater support from his middle order to seal the victory.
The defeat leaves Nepal with one match remaining in their League 2 series in Oman. They will face hosts Oman on Monday, October 19, in a match crucial to their final standing.
Samra’s Century Lifts Canada to 256
Canada chose to bat first after winning the toss and reached 256 before being bowled out in 50 overs.
Opener Yuvraj Samra anchored the innings with 105 off 117 balls, featuring 11 fours and four sixes. He paced his effort steadily, steadying Canada through middle-order stumbles.
Samra received key support from Aaron Jones, who scored 36 off 53 balls, and Harsh Thaker, who added a composed 34 off 57 deliveries. Captain Hamza Tariq provided late momentum with 30 off 26 balls, while Samit Gohel scored 17 and Aaditya Varadharajan chipped in with 12.
Nepal’s bowlers struck back regularly in the final 10 overs to prevent a larger total. Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi led the attack, taking 4 for 39 in his 10-over spell. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane took 3 for 49, while all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee claimed two wickets and captain Rohit Paudel picked up one.
Arjun Keeps Nepal in the Contest
Nepal’s pursuit of 257 started awkwardly as wickets fell at key intervals, but opener Arjun Kumal held the chase together.
Arjun scored 87 off 112 balls (4 fours), anchoring the innings with controlled running between the wickets. He fell 13 runs short of his maiden One-Day International (ODI) century when he was caught at 194 for 6.
Following Arjun's dismissal, Nepal required 63 runs from four wickets, but the lower order could not complete the job. Dipendra Singh Airee scored 27 off 32 balls, while Gulshan Jha and Aasif Sheikh contributed 21 and 20 respectively. Captain Rohit Paudel made 18, and Karan KC remained unbeaten on 17.
Nepal lost their final four wickets for just 38 runs, collapsing to 232 all out in 46 overs.
Canada’s bowling unit executed well under pressure late in the match. Off-spinner Sukhjinder Singh took 3 for 38 in 10 overs, while fast bowler Kaleem Sana and spinner Sheel Patel claimed two wickets apiece.
Setback in League 2 Standings
The defeat places added pressure on Nepal in the tournament standings.
Entering Saturday's match, Nepal sat on 28 points from 34 matches. The loss leaves them at 28 points from 35 matches, while Canada moved to 29 points after completing their full 36-match League 2 schedule.
Nepal currently sit seventh in the eight-team table, with Canada moving up into sixth.
Nepal’s final match against Oman on Monday will determine their final standing. A victory would take Nepal to 30 points. Both teams have missed out on a top-four finish—the threshold that grants direct entry to the final ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier for the 2027 tournament. As a result, both Nepal and Canada will enter the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off to earn an alternate route to the global qualifier.
Nepal Seek Improved Batting Against Oman
Saturday’s fixture highlighted both positive signs and recurring weaknesses for Nepal.
While the bowling attack restricted Canada to a chaseable target and Arjun provided a platform at the top, Nepal suffered from a lack of substantial partnerships in the middle overs. Several batters made starts of 20 or more without converting them into match-winning contributions.
Against Oman on Monday, Nepal will need greater middle-order stability and partnership building to conclude their League 2 campaign on a winning note.
