Batting nightmare continues for Team Nepal

The ACC T20 Premier Cup challenge for the men’s national  cricket team of Nepal concluded on a disastrous note in Oman.

They were left  empty-handed,following two successive defeats in make-or-break matches at the end of the day.

The defeat to the  United Arab  Emirates and Honk Kong cost them dearly as they 

squandered the opportunity to compete in both the  2025 Asia Cup and the second-tier Emerging Teams Asia Cup.   

They made a total hash of things and piled misery on themselves.They have no one to blame but themselves for the outcome.I never  thought  they would end up like this.

Once again the team’s batting  weaknesses came to the fore especially in the last two  crucial matches.

Without a shred of doubt,the top-order batters failed miserably.Their contribution was negligible.They were  unable to hold  the innings together and post competitive totals. In other words,they  batted poorly and cheaply threw their wickets away.

Clearly there was  a lack of application,commitment, technique  discipline and character on part of the batters.

The team had to pay a heavy  price for the below-par batting  performance which triggered their downfall.

The bowlers did a pretty decent job.However,the batting failure kept them 

under constant pressure for the most part of the competition.

Topping the group with four straight impressive wins in the  league -cum- knockout  round they clashed against   archrival the United Arab Emirates for a place in the final.

Everything looked hunky dory  for Nepal. However, they failed to ride the momentum, live up to high expectations,rise to the occasion  and deliver the result when it mattered most.

The 6 wickets defeat for  Head Coach Monty Desai boys was a huge blow. It ended their winning streak and title defense hopes. 

The  batting was at its worst.They could only amass a paltry 119 largely to  Sundeep Jora’s brilliant 50 .The top-order batters were irrelevant as they flopped big time.

The debacle was a rude  jolt for Team Nepal.More importantly,they lost a spot   in the final round of the 2025 Asia Cup..

As if that was not bad enough,there was more agony of defeat for them. In the battle for third place,they slumped to a shock 4 wickets  defeat against Hong Kong, the side they had beaten  comprehensively in the league stage.

The defeat also cost them a place in the ACC Emerging Asia Cup.

For the second match in a row, fragile batting culminated in defeat for them.All  rounder Dipendra Singh Airee( 44 not out) and  Sundeep Jora (22) knocks  provided them a ray of hope but the total of 139 was not enough to save them from the humiliating loss

Team Nepal needs a dramatic  batting  improvement in order to become competitive against formidable opponents going forward. 

The top -order batters have been with the team for quite some time now and it is high time they take more responsibility. 

The coaching team must make an all out effort to  find ways to improve the batting  performance.

Otherwise,the batting woes will continue and  keep hurting the team .In addition, it will impede  their pursuit of Test Status as well.

With the T20 World Cup fast approaching,the batting needs urgent attention and a quick turnaround. If not,they will be reduced to pushovers.