ACC Women's T20 Premier Cup: Nepal defeats Kuwait to enter semi-final

Kathmandu: Nepal has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the ACC Women's Premier Cup by defeating Kuwait in the quarter-final match held today at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval in Kuala Lumpur.    
    
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Kuwait set a target of 74 runs for Nepal. However, rain interrupted the second innings, and Nepal, following the DLS method, needed to score 50 runs in 12 overs. They achieved the target in 6.5 overs with the loss of two wickets.    
    
In Nepal's victory, captain Indu Barma scored the highest 22 runs off 21 balls (not out) including one four. Sita Ranamagar contributed 17 runs, while Kabita Joshi added 4 to the team's total. Kuwait's Maryam Omar took one wicket in the match.    
    
Batting first, Kuwait's Priyada Murari top-scored with 29 runs, including three boundaries and one six in 33 balls. Khadija Khalil and Shanthi Balasubramanian both scored 13 runs each. Restricting Kuwait to 73 runs, Nepal's Sita Rana Magar took three wickets, while Rubina Chhetri and Kabita Kunwar took two wickets each.    
    
Having qualified for the quarter-finals as the winner of Group D in the group stage, Nepal defeated Hong Kong, Bhutan, and the Maldives. They will face host Malaysia in the semi-finals, and the two qualifying teams will be eligible to participate in the Asia Cup Cricket scheduled for September.