Kathmandu - Nepal Women U19 will face United Arab Emirates Women U19 in the semi-final of the ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Both teams enter the semi-final unbeaten, with a place in the final at stake. Nepal have been one of the most dominant sides in the tournament, while UAE have reached the last four through balanced batting and disciplined bowling.
Nepal and UAE have recent history at this level. The two sides met twice in the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in 2024, winning one match each. Nepal won the most recent meeting by eight wickets to qualify for the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup 2025.
Nepal's campaign in Malaysia has been commanding. They posted 130/3, 199/0 and 211/6 in the group stage before chasing 87 against Japan in the quarter-final. Their bowlers have been just as impressive, restricting opponents to 25, 48, 30 and 86.
UAE have also remained unbeaten. They defended totals of 156/3, 133/4 and 114/7 to book their semi-final place, showing control in different match situations.
Nepal's top order has been the foundation of their run. Sabitri Dhami has led the way with three important knocks, while Sana Praveen's unbeaten 98 against Singapore and Sony Pakhrin's 90 against Hong Kong have highlighted the team’s batting depth.
For UAE, Lavanya Keny has been the standout batter, scoring 74 against Oman and 40 against Bhutan. Al Maseera Jahangir's 39 against Bhutan and Vaishnave Mahesh's 47 against Oman have also been key contributions.
Nepal's bowling unit has been one of the tournament's biggest strengths. Riya Sharma is the leading wicket-taker for Nepal with seven wickets, followed by Manisha Upadhayay with six. Anu Kadayat and Sony Pakhrin have taken five wickets each.
UAE's attack has been led by captain Samaira Dharnidharka, who has taken five wickets while offering control with the new ball. Vaishnave Mahesh has four wickets, including a match-winning spell against Malaysia, while Janani Thirukkumaran and Al Maseera Jahangir have added depth with three wickets each.
The Bayuemas Cricket Oval has been a successful venue for both teams. Nepal registered convincing wins over Qatar and Hong Kong there, while UAE defeated Bhutan by 45 runs at the same ground.
The semi-final could come down to Nepal's top order against UAE's bowling discipline. Nepal have batted with freedom throughout the tournament, but UAE's bowlers have been consistent enough to make the contest tight.
