Kirtipur is certainly not a cricketing hotbed like Kolkata. But on Sunday, this ancient city in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, for once matched Kolkata's craze for cricket. The Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, still a nondescript stadium with a capacity of little more than 20,000, was jam-packed to witness Nepal take on Oman in the finale of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2023. (ODI World Cup | Cricket News)
Some four hundred miles to the south, in the Indian state of West Bengal, Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens was being filled to the brim with more than double what Kirtipur's modest set-up could accommodate. The occasion -- ICC Cricket World Cup 2023's top-of-the-table clash between India and South Africa -- was made even more special by the presence of birthday boy Virat Kohli. There was also anticipation of Kohli matching Sachin Tendulkar's 49 ODI centuries, which the 35-year-old eventually achieved.
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The Kirtipur match wouldn't match the reach generated by a fixture like India vs South Africa, in every aspect -- from quality to global following. There's no tangible yardstick to compare the two encounters. However, the 20-over affair between hosts Nepal and Oman -- a clash between two emerging cricketing nations and ICC Associate Members -- did manage to earn a few clicks here and there, and also some mention in cricketing circles.
Nepal won the toss and opted to bat first. With a boisterous home crowd cheering every single run, the Rhinos -- one of the many nicknames for the team -- posted a seemingly big total of 184/6 in their 20 overs. Skipper Rohit Paudel led from the front with an unbeaten 52 off 37 balls (five fours and two sixes), and together with Gulsan Jha (54 off 25 balls), he added 78 runs for the fifth wicket. For Oman, experienced pacer Bilal Khan claimed three wickets for 26, while Sialkot-born spinner Aqib Ilyas returned with figures of 2/22. Bilal, for the record, is Pakistani by birth.
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Despite a partisan crowd doing its best to intimidate them, Zeeshan Maqsood & Co. kept themselves in the hunt with some sensible batting. Kashyap Harishbhai Prajapati, another naturalised talent, hit a 52-ball 63 (three fours and four sixes). But the opener from Gujarat in India was effectively left stranded as Nepal continued to chip away with wickets in the middle overs. Then, a nine-ball 24 from Mohammad Nadeem at the death almost sealed the win for Oman.
But in a last-ball finish, the team from the Middle East could manage only a tie as Nadeem got run out when returning for the second. For Nepal, Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane both recorded identical figures (2/30) but from two and four overs, respectively; while four others got one wicket each.
In the ensuing Super Over, Naseem Khushi, another Sialkot-born player in the Omanese ranks, hit three sixes off Abinash Bohara to help his team post 21/0. Interestingly, the wicketkeeper-batter managed only one run in the normal play. Nepal, in reply, lost Kushal Bhurtel off the very first ball, and they never recovered from that jolt.
Kushal Malla did hit the last two balls for fours, but it was enough as the Cardiac Kids -- another colloquial calling for the Nepalese team -- suffered a heartbreaking defeat. The Paudel-led side would have liked to offer some solace to their countrymen, in the aftermath of the earthquake tragedy in Nepal on Friday that has led to more than 150 deaths and counting, but it was not to be.
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Despite the defeat, Nepal, along with Oman have already qualified for the next year's T20 World Cup, set to be hosted jointly by the West Indies and the United States of America, after entering the final of the Asia qualifier. Nepal and Oman had defeated the United Arab Emirates (by eight wickets) and Bahrain (by 10 wickets) in their respective semi-finals.
Despite the extended play, the Kirtipur crowd got enough time to catch up with the India vs South Africa match: two contrasting experiences, but surely with distinct flavours.
Nepal vs Oman Brief Scores
Oman - 184/9 in 20 Overs (Kashyap Prajapati 63; Sandeep Lamichhane 2/30, Karan KC 2/30) beat Nepal 184/6 in 20 Overs (Gulshan Jha 54, Rohit Paudel 52 not out; Bilal Khan 3/26) in Super Over.
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India vs South Africa Brief Scores
India - 326/5 in 50 Overs (Virat Kohli 101, Shreyas Iyer 77) beat South Africa - 83 all out in 27.1 overs (Marco Jansen 14; Ravindra Jadeja 5/33)
