Brilliant Karan KC anchors Nepal to victory over Scotland

The men’s   national  cricket team of Nepal made a dream start in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 triangular series in Scotland.

In a nerve wracking match Nepal coasted to a thrilling one wicket victory over  hosts Scotland in the  second last ball of the last over of the allotted 50 overs in Forthill, Dundee, Scotland.

Player of  the match  speedster Karan KC hogged the  limelight for his outstanding all round performance.Drawing upon his experiences, he displayed solid composure and  dogged determination to guide  his team to a well  earned and very important victory.

After claiming two wickets,he played a blistering unbeaten 65 off 41 balls with the help of three fours and  four  sixes . Coming at number 9 ,Nepal had slumped to  192 for 7  and  defeat at that point  seemed imminent despite a promising batting performance  by the top- order batters. 

Despite enormous pressure KC held the team’s shaky innings  together and  successfully resisted  the  opposition bowling attack. His crucial 18 runs in the 49th over  tilted the   match in Nepal’s favor eventually.

Nepal’s decision to bowl first  seemed to have backfired after Scotland  set up a challenging and competitive total of   296 for 7.

The bowlers performed fairly well on a pitch favorable to batters.KC,Rijan Dhakal and Sompal Kami scalped two wickets each ,while Sandeep Lamichhane claimed one.

In the run chase, Nepal top -order  needed to bat solidly and consistently, especially the openers had to give the team  a solid start.

Openers Khushal  Bhurtel  and Aasif  Sheikh  did not disappoint as they laid a healthy  foundation  by sharing 72 runs for the first wicket.

Bhurtel batted aggressively to  score 53  off 44 balls,which included 11 hits to the short boundary. On the other hand, Sheikh made  just 20 runs but his contribution proved handy. Although both  openers were back in the pavilion in quick succession, the  innings was consolidated by  Bhim Sarki(40) and skipper Rohit Paudel (37) and later by   Gulshan Jha(43) and the  rescuer for  Team Nepal KC.

Newly appointed  Australian head  coach Stuart Law boys faced a must -win situation in the series to improve their standings.

They could not afford to lose as their chances of making it to the top four  could’ve  taken a further beating.

It is  good to see Nepal back in the win column and their suspect batting come alive.

The batters displayed plenty of grit,application,confidence and positivity to overcome the odds.Despite the win,batting is still key to Nepal’s success in upcoming matches. 

The batters have to remain razor  focused,positive, disciplined  and confident. It is important that they  bat  consistently to their ability.

With  three more matches to go  in the series, it is imperative that  they work on their shortcomings and carry the momentum forward. There is  absolutely no room  for complacency whatsoever. Besides, there is  room for  improvement in both  bowling and fielding. 

With extra collective effort and a positive mindset,Nepal stands a good chance to  redeem themselves and end the series on  a high note .

Nepal next plays  formidable the Netherlands on Wednesday at  the same venue. Let us hope that they can have an encore  of their performance .