T20I : MATCH 4 OFF 7 : Nepal vs Namibia

01 Mar T20I : MATCH 4 OFF 7 : Nepal vs Namibia

Nepal finally registered its first win of the T20I tri-series after defeating Namibia by 3 runs. Nepal posted 180 runs on the board after Namibian captain JJ Smit won the toss and decided to field first. Here are the five keynotes from Nepal’s enthralling victory over Namibia :

• Nepali pacers do their job

Nepal’s death-over bowling attack has been under scrutiny in recent matches. Nepal was conceding far too many runs in the final overs and the pace bowlers were called out for their inability to curb the run flow in the final phases of the innings. Namibia had scored 73 in the last five overs in the first T20I and Nepali bowlers had faced nuclear heat after that match.

The Nepali pace attack of Sompal Kami, Abhinash Bohara, and Karan KC regrouped and did their job against Namibia. Sompal and Karan combined to remove the Namibian top-order batters and did not let Namibia race ahead in the chase. Just when JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck started to take control of the chase, Abinash Bohara chipped in with economical overs and removed the dangerous-looking Frylinck. Karan bowled the last over of the match and defended 12 runs expertly.

• Karan’s comeback in the final over

Nepal did not let Namibia cut loose during the middle overs. However, after a brief rebuilding period, JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck upped the tempo and started to score rapidly. A few big overs followed and Karan KC was smacked for 23 runs in the 15th over. 

Karan KC returned to bowl the last over with 12 runs to defend. Karan expertly bowled, mixing full lengths with other variations. Karan showed mental toughness to bounce back after his very expensive previous over and held his nerve in the tense last over finish.

• Kushal Malla’s maturity

Kushal Malla was visibly upset after the conclusion of the PM Cup. Malla was aware of the fans’ expectations and was guilty of throwing his wicket in some matches. Malla showcased a newer side of his game in his ‘man-of-the-match’ performance against Namibia.

Malla was the backbone of Nepal’s innings and stayed till the end. He came to the crease when Nepal was in the vulnerable position of 64-4 in the 8th over. Malla batted with great maturity, scoring quickly as well as building the innings. 

Malla has the reputation of being a powerful hitter of the ball. He valued his wicket and shouldered the responsibility of anchoring the innings for Nepal. Malla’s calculated risk-taking approach is a newer addition to his batting skills.

• Dipendra Singh Airee: Nepal’s best T20 player?

Dipendra Singh Airee left his mark in the first two T20I matches with the bat. He nearly guided Nepal home against the Netherlands and has been one of Nepal’s best players in the T20I format.

Aerie has been a trustable bowler for captain Rohit Paudel in all formats. Asked to bowl the 16th over of the match after Karan KC had gone for 23 runs in the previous over, Airee dragged the game in Nepal’s favor with two wickets in the first two deliveries of the over. In addition to removing set JJ Smit and dangerous Jan Loftie-Eaton, Airee conceded just five runs from the over. He finished with the figures of 4-0-29-2 and his vital 16th over kept Nepal alive in the match.

Airee has been instrumental in every T20I match so far in the series for Nepal. He has scored important runs for Nepal and has been ever-reliable with the ball. In addition to this, he is electric in the field and is Nepal’s best fielder as well. Airee is a complete allrounder in the T20I format and is vital to Nepal’s chances in every matches.

• Morale-boosting victory for Nepal

Nepal had lost each of the last four matches in all formats. Namibia did a double over Nepal in the WCL 2 encounters and was victorious in the first T20I encounter. The home team had faced tough defeats at the hands of the Netherlands as well. For the team that is in the preparation mode for the T20I World Cup, defeats in four consecutive cricket matches at home did not make for a good reading. 

Nepal’s victory over Namibia is a morale-boosting victory for the team. Not only did the team show the mentality to bounce back after tough defeats, but Nepal held its nerve to edge out Namibia in the tense finish. The victory gave Nepal much-needed momentum heading into the Netherlands match and provided Nepal a platform to build for the T20I World Cup.