Kuala Lumpur: Batting brilliance coupled with a dominant bowling display propelled Nepal to a crushing eight-wicket victory over Kuwait in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup quarter-finals at the YSD UKM Oval in Kuala Lumpur today. This emphatic win secures their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.

Chasing a paltry 74-run target set by Kuwait, the Nepali batters, the experienced Indu Burma (22), and the young Kabita Joshi (4) got their side off to an aggressive hunt, putting on a solid 26-run partnership before the showers arrived. Earlier, Sita Ranamagar (17) and Kavita Kunwar (1) failed to continue the momentum, taking Nepal to 44 runs in just 6.4 overs before the heavens opened, forcing the abandonment of the match. With Nepal comfortably ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis target, they were declared the rightful victors.

Earlier, electing to bat first, Kuwait were bundled out for a meagre 73 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Priyada Murali (29) provided some resistance with a determined knock, but Nepal’s bowling attack proved too hot to handle. The wily Sita Ranamagar stole the show with a magnificent hat-trick in the 13th over, dismissing Priyada, Mariam Omar, and Captain Amna Sharif in quick succession to shatter Kuwait’s hopes.

This convincing victory adds another chapter to Nepal’s impressive run in the tournament. Having already secured comfortable wins against Hong Kong, Bhutan, and Maldives, the team is confident. Their next hurdle comes in Malaysia in the semi-finals, where they will aim to continue their unbeaten streak and book a berth in the final.