The T-20 World Cup Asia qualifiers are turning out to be interesting as Nepal sets to face UAE in the semi-final as it loses the match against Oman in the finals of the Group A game by five runs. UAE, on the other hand, claimed the top spot with a victory over Hong Kong.
The qualifiers, which are to continue till 6th November, will be deciding a pair of winners who will book a ticket to the USA and West Indies for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The Journey to Semifinals
Nepal, hosting the T-20 World Cup qualifiers, is placed in Group A along with Singapore, Oman, and Malaysia. While UAE is placed in Group B with Hong Kong, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Nepal made its place in the semifinal by being runner-up of group A. It won the match against Singapore and Malaysia by eight wickets and six wickets, respectively but faced a narrow defeat against Oman on Thursday.
While UAE won all three matches in Group B, defeating Bahrain and Kuwait by five wickets and Hong Kong by 22 runs.
Group A’s three matches saw Oman come out on top. Oman’s semifinal opponent will reveal once the Bahrain and Kuwait match concludes. The final slot in the top four will probably go to Bahrain.
The Rivalry: Nepal Vs UAE
The United Arab Emirates and Nepal have faced each other in 8 matches in T20. Out of these eight games, the United Arab Emirates has won 4, whereas Nepal has come out victorious on four occasions.
In the latest clash between the two in the Tri-Nation series, Nepal lost the final match to UAE by Four Wickets at the TU cricket ground. However, Nepal had defeated the UAE by seven wickets in the first match of the series and by five wickets in the group stage rematch.
Not to forget, Nepal failed to qualify for the 2022 T20 World Cup as Nepal lost to the UAE in the semifinals in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A.
The Semifinal
Nepal and UAE are playing the semifinal at Mulpani Stadium on Friday 3rd of November at 11:00 NST.
It’s quite sure that the match between these two rivals is going to be intense. The only reason is that both teams need a win in order to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup. The T20 World Cup is going to be in the West Indies and the USA in 2024. It’s a do-or-die situation for both of the teams.
With enthusiastic home support guaranteed to uplift the team, Nepal will definitely have the upper hand over the UAE team. This might also serve as an opportunity for the Nepali team to take revenge on their dream to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2022, which the UAE shattered after a semifinal loss in the global qualifiers.
Let’s look forward to tomorrow’s Nepal vs UAE game to know whether Nepal gets a ticket for a spot in the T20 World Cup next year or it will be UAE again to qualify, shattering the dreams of the entire Nepali Cricket Enthusiast for the second time in a row.
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