Aasif Sheikh credits teammates after title-winning century

KATHMANDU: Aasif Sheikh described his century in Nepal’s ACC Men’s Premier Cup final victory over UAE as one of his most meaningful innings, but directed the credit towards his teammates.

Aasif was named Player of the Match after scoring 102 from 106 balls as Nepal posted 313/9 at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval. Nepal subsequently bowled UAE out for 269 to complete a 44-run victory, lift the trophy and qualify for the 2027 Asia Cup.

"It is a very special feeling for me," Aasif said during the post-match presentation. "We ended up on the winning side, so it means a lot to me."

The wicketkeeper-batter said the surface was favourable for batting and that his priority was to convert his start into a substantial innings.

"It was really good to bat on," he said. "All I was thinking was that if I got a start, I had to go on. I just needed to convert the innings, and that’s what I did."

Superb 💯

Aasif Sheikh brought up his second ODI hundred—and it comes at the perfect time, in the final! 🇳🇵🔥

102 off 106 balls against the UAE. 👏#AasifSheikh #NEPvUAE #MensPremierCup #Cricnepal pic.twitter.com/mHqQg2tM4z

— cricnepal.com 🇳🇵 🦏 (@cricnepal) September 12, 2026

Aasif struck eight fours and four sixes during his second ODI century, scoring at a strike rate of 96.22.

He shared a 97-run opening partnership with Arjun Kumal, who contributed 43 from 63 balls. After Arjun's dismissal, Aasif added another 68 with Rohit Paudel for the third wicket.

The century ended when Aayan Afzal Khan caught him off Haider Ali with Nepal on 191/3 in the 36th over. Rohit, Gulshan Jha and Basir Ahamad then built on the foundation he had provided.

Gulshan struck 52 from 38 balls, while Basir finished unbeaten on 15 from four deliveries to take Nepal beyond 300.

Aasif also praised the collective effort that carried Nepal through the tournament. Five different players earned Player of the Match recognition across Nepal’s campaign, underlining the contributions made throughout the squad.

"Credit goes to all the team members," Aasif said. "Everybody contributed from their side and played their role beautifully."

Nepal won five of their six matches in Malaysia. They defeated Bahrain, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia before losing their final group match against Hong Kong. They responded by defending 147 against Oman in the semi-final and then overcoming the previously unbeaten UAE in the title match.