Defeat hard to digest for Team Nepal

The defeat  at the hands of South Africa put an end to the men’s national cricket of Nepal’s  challenge in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup  cricket tournament in Kingstown,St.Vincent, West Indies. 

It was a must win fixture   for Head Coach Monty Desai boys to stay  in contention for a spot in the Super Eight.

Having already qualified for the Super Eight and unbeaten in the championship, the  Proteas were overwhelming favorites against Nepal. 

Given their  records,vast experiences, batting depth and bowling strength,they were expected to make short work of the opposition.

Contrary to expectations, rank outsiders Nepal shocked and  surprised the seasoned opponent by a solid performance and csme very close to inflicting a  stunning defeat.

Skipper Rohit Paudel’s decision to field first after winning the toss paid off handsomely. They restricted the opposition  to a paltry 115.

The pitch proved  ideal for spinners.They stepped up and bowled  exceptionally well  to exploit  the dry and cracked  pitch offering uneven bounce and grip.

They  pinned down the batters from start to finish.The South Africans struggled to score runs and could only manage 115. 

Khusal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh  Airee with 4 and 3 wickets respectively were pick of the bowlers.

Ace leg break spinner Sandeep Lamichhane played his first match in the tournament. Although he went  wicketless, he bowled superbly and had  batters at his mercy.

On the down side, Nepal’s fielding was somewhat sloppy. Had they not dropped a couple of crucial catches,they could have been chasing   a smaller total.

The  modest total was within the Rhinos' reach.All they  needed was a disciplined and convincing  batting from the top order  and a good opening stand, not seen lately. 

Aasif Sheikh(42),Kushal Bhurtel( 23 )  and Ani Shah (37) provided the  team the much needed platform to script  a famous victory over the highly fancied opposition.

Despite  the vaunted pace bowling attack of South Africa  in the first 10 overs,the batters withstood the pressure and  managed to keep the scoreboard ticking.

 At 114 for 7 with four balls to spare,an upset win for Nepal loomed large. Unfortunately,Gulshan Jha missed a shot and ran himself out to  give South Africa a  thrilling 1 run victory at the end.

To me in form   skipper Rohit Paudel’s dismissal for a golden duck was the turning point in the innings.

Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi who scalped  four wickets played a big part in South Africa’s remarkable fightback from a hopeless position  to steer his team to victory. 

Indeed it was heartbreak for Nepal  who were on the cusp of scripting  a  shock and famous victory.

Despite defeat, they can hold their heads high. It was a valiant collective  effort that fell short by a  whisker.They must cope with failure, learn from mistakes  and overcome negativity going forward.

Although the final match against Bangladesh is merely academic,they  have the chance to sign off the tournament  on a positive note.They have to go for the win  against  their South Asian neighbor. 

Nepal's performance  has won  the  hearts and  minds of cricket aficionados across the world. Also they have proven themselves capable of performing well at the highest level of the game.