Kabita Kunwar produced a sensational spell with a hat-trick and six wickets as Nepal Women thrashed Vanuatu by 83 runs to strengthen their push for a runner-up finish at the ICC Women's Challenge Trophy in Rwanda.
Nepal posted 132 for 3 and then bowled Vanuatu out for just 49 in 16.4 overs at Gahanga Cricket Stadium Oval. The emphatic win lifted Nepal to second place on the table, level with hosts Rwanda on 8 points but ahead on net run rate with one match left for both sides.
The result came on the same day the United States sealed the inaugural title by beating Italy by nine wickets. USA moved to an unassailable 12 points from seven matches, while Nepal and Rwanda remained locked together on 8 heading into the final day.
Nepal's innings was built around Samjhana Khadka's 52 off 51 balls, her second half-century in women's T20Is. She struck nine fours and gave Nepal a strong base after opening with Puja Mahato, who made 19 off 20. The pair helped Nepal reach 40 without loss in the powerplay.
Bindu Rawal later retired hurt for 7, while Rubi Poddar fell for 1. Captain Indu Barma then changed the tempo with an unbeaten 43 off just 18 balls, hitting seven fours. She finished the innings with three consecutive boundaries off Rachel Andrew in the final over, while Kabita remained not out on 6.
Vanuatu never got close in the chase. Only Valenta Langiatu, with 14, and Nasimana Navaika, with 12, reached double figures. Nepal's bowlers dominated from the start, but the defining burst came from Kabita, who ran through the lower order and finished with 6 for 5 in 3.4 overs, including a maiden.
All six of her wickets were bowled, and her hat-trick came in the 16th over. It was the second-best bowling figures by a Nepali player in women's T20Is. Only Anjali Chand's remarkable 6 for 0 against Maldives at the 2019 South Asian Games remains ahead of it.
Puja Mahato and Rachana Chaudhary took two wickets each to support Kabita, as Nepal completed a dominant response after having lost to Vanuatu by 22 runs earlier in the tournament.
Now, with one game remaining, Nepal have put themselves firmly in the race to finish second in the inaugural five-team event.
