In a stunning display of dominance, India A cruised to a resounding 9-wicket triumph over Nepal in the second ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup match. The Indian team’s remarkable performance earned them a decisive win and secured their place in the semi-finals, with a match to spare in Group B. On the other hand, Nepal’s consecutive defeats have led to their unfortunate elimination from the tournament.
On Monday, the match at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka witnessed India expertly chase down Nepal’s target of 168 runs with consummate ease, losing only one wicket in 22.1 overs. Abhishek Sharma led the charge for India, contributing a stellar 87 runs off just 69 balls, showcasing his prowess with 12 boundaries and 2 maximums. Sai Sudarshan provided invaluable support, smashing an unbeaten 58 runs off 52 balls, which included 8 fours and a six. Additionally, Dhuvar Jure chipped in with an unbeaten 21 runs.
The partnership between Abhishek and Sai proved instrumental in India’s victory as they shared a remarkable opening stand of 139 runs. Nepal’s captain, Rohit Kumar Paudel, secured just one wicket for his team.

In the first innings, after winning the toss and electing to bat, Nepal faltered and lost all their wickets in 39.2 overs, posting a modest total of 167 runs. Rohit Kumar Paudel emerged as the highest scorer for Nepal, displaying resilience and skill as he notched up 65 runs off 85 deliveries, including 7 boundaries. Gulshan Jha also made a notable contribution with 38 runs, while Dev Khanal and Sompal Kami managed 15 and 14 runs, respectively. Rohit shared pivotal partnerships of 54 runs with Gulshan for the seventh wicket and 53 runs with Sompal for the sixth wicket.
India’s bowlers proved to be the architects of Nepal’s downfall. Nishant Sindhu led the attack, claiming an impressive 4 wickets, while Rajvardhan Hangargekar took 3 wickets, Harshit Rana claimed 2, and Manav Suthar secured 1.
They are set to face UAE ‘A’ in their upcoming match on Wednesday, while India will take on Pakistan ‘A’. In their previous encounters, Nepal suffered a narrow 4-wicket defeat against Pakistan ‘A’ in the first match, while India comfortably defeated UAE ‘A’ by 8 wickets in their opening fixture.
Pakistan ‘A’ also sealed their spot in the semi-finals with a commanding victory over UAE ‘A’, triumphing by a massive 184-run margin in the match that concluded on Monday.