KATHMANDU: The Nepali men’s national cricket team is set to face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the final of the third ACC Premier Cup in Malaysia on Saturday. Nepal is aiming to secure its second one-day format ACC Premier Cup title. In the inaugural edition held in Nepal in 2023, the home team defeated the UAE by seven wickets to claim the trophy.
Nepal reached the final after an 87-run victory over Oman in the semi-finals, where the team’s bowling performance restricted Oman to just 60 runs. Former national cricketer and ex-selector Dipendra Chaudhary noted that the surface of the pitch would be a crucial factor in the final. He estimated that Nepal has a 70 percent chance of winning if the match is played on a spin-friendly pitch. Chaudhary added that the UAE side consists of many young players, giving the more experienced Nepali squad a strategic advantage.
The UAE has also displayed strong form, winning all four of its group-stage matches and defeating Hong Kong by seven wickets in the semi-final. Historically, Nepal and the UAE have competed in 19 one-day international matches, with Nepal winning 11 and the UAE winning 8. In their last five encounters, Nepal has emerged victorious three times. The most recent win came last May during the ICC World Cup League-2 series, where Nepal defeated the UAE by six runs. Nepal now looks to replicate that performance to clinch the championship.
