Uzairullah Niazai’s composed 61 and a disciplined bowling performance guided Afghanistan to a six-wicket win over Nepal in the U-19 Asia Cup, despite the contest having no bearing on the semi-final race.
Afghanistan’s bowlers set the tone early after opting to field, with Abdul Aziz striking in the first over and Nepal never truly recovering. Regular wickets in the powerplay stalled the innings, and although Dilsad Ali’s 32 offered brief resistance, Zaitullah Shaheen (3-19) and Aziz ensured Nepal were bundled out for 124.
Nepal’s only notable partnership came through Abhisekh Tiwari and R Biswakarma, who added 28 for the sixth wicket, while Chandan Ram’s late blows pushed the total past 100. A double-wicket over from Wahidullah Zadran, however, wrapped up the innings swiftly.
In reply, Afghanistan were briefly checked when Tiwari struck twice in one over, but Uzairullah steadied the chase with a crucial 52-run stand alongside Osman Sadat. Despite a boundary drought caused by Nepal’s spinners, Uzairullah broke free to guide Afghanistan close to the target.
Afghanistan crossed the line comfortably in 26.5 overs, ending their campaign on a positive note. The result, however, remained inconsequential as both sides finished in the bottom two of Group B, missing out on semi-final qualification.
