Nepal A secured a thrilling 9-run victory over Assam in the Men's T20 Friendly Series at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara, Guwahati on Sunday.
After being put in to bat first, Nepal A posted a strong total of 196/6 in 20 overs. Middle-order batter Sandeep Jora anchored the innings with a brilliant 74 off 48 balls, striking timely boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving. He was well supported by Adil Alam Ansari (35 off 16 balls), who provided late fireworks, while Trit Raj Das (33 off 32) and Anil Sah (31 off 20) made valuable contributions at the top and middle order.
For Assam, Akash Sengupta picked up 2/49, while Sibsankar Roy, Avinav Choudhury, and Mrinmoy Dutta chipped in with a wicket apiece.
In reply, Assam fought hard but fell short, managing 187 all out in 20 overs. Nihar Deka (40 off 23 balls) and Sumit Ghadigaonkar (36 off 19 balls) gave their side a brisk start, while Abdul Ajij Kuraishi remained unbeaten on 31 off 17 balls and Saahil Jain added 24 off 21 to keep the chase alive. However, Nepal A’s bowlers held their nerve in the final overs.
Bibek K Yadav (2/17) and Basir Ahmed (2/14) delivered crucial breakthroughs in the middle and death overs, supported by Kamal Singh Airee (2/46) and Akash Chand (2/52) as Assam were bowled out 9 runs short of the target.
With this win, Nepal A lead the series 2-1 with two matches to go.
