Nepal beat UAE by 44 runs to win ACC Premier Cup and qualify for 2027 Asia Cup

Nepal claimed the ACC Premier Cup title in the tournament’s third edition, beating the United Arab Emirates by 44 runs in the final at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday. The result has earned Nepal a berth in the 2027 ODI Asia Cup, scheduled to be staged in Bangladesh.

Nepal now have two Asia Cup appearances to their name. Their first came after a similar triumph over the UAE, which secured them a place at the 2023 edition of the continental tournament. The defending ACC Premier Cup champions, the UAE, were unable to repeat that feat and will not feature in the 2027 Asia Cup.

How did Nepal build their total of 313 for nine?

After winning the toss and choosing to bat at the Bayuemas Oval, Nepal reached 313 for nine across their 50 overs. Opener and wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh provided the foundation, compiling 102 off 106 balls with eight fours and four sixes. The knock was his second hundred at ODI level.

Gulshan Jha accelerated the innings in the closing stages, striking 52 off just 38 deliveries, a knock laced with four sixes and three fours, and his sixth ODI fifty. Arjun Kumal chipped in with 43, Rohit Kumar Paudel contributed 40, Dipendra Singh Airee made 18, Basir Ahmad finished unbeaten on 15 and Ishan Pandey added 13. The depth of Nepal’s batting order ensured they posted a competitive total despite losing nine wickets.

Among the UAE bowlers, Ibrar Ahmed was the standout performer with four wickets. Khuzema Tanveer picked up two, while Haider Ali and Abid Usmani each removed one Nepal batter.

How did the UAE chase fall short and who bowled Nepal to victory?

Set 314 to win, the UAE were dismissed for 269 in 49.1 overs, coming up 44 runs short. Rahul Chopra batted through the innings for an unbeaten 100 off 105 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes, but could not find enough support from the other end to take the UAE over the line. Shoaib Khan made 52, Tanish Suri scored 42, Harpreet Singh contributed 33 and Khuzema Tanveer added 15, yet none of those partnerships proved substantial enough to threaten Nepal’s grip on the match.

Karan KC led Nepal’s bowling attack with three wickets, and Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi supported him with two. Captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Dipendra Singh Airee, Rohit Kumar Paudel and Gulshan Jha each claimed one wicket as Nepal wrapped up the match and sealed their place among Asia’s elite for 2027.