Nepal Under-19's title defence ended in heartbreak on Monday as hosts United Arab Emirates secured the ACC Men's U19 Premier Cup 2025 crown with a 27-run victory at Karwan Ground, Ajman.
Nepal opted to field first and did their job superbly to restrict UAE, but a top-order collapse in the chase proved decisive.
UAE's innings never truly settled after losing their captain Yayin Rai for a first-ball duck, and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Nepal’s standout was Dayanand Mandal, who produced a spell to remember—6 wickets for 17 runs—as UAE were bowled out for 147 in 45.5 overs.
In the middle of the collapse, Ahmed Khudada held the innings together with a gritty 71 off 126 balls, giving UAE something to defend when the rest of the batting order struggled to convert starts.
With 148 needed from 300 deliveries, Nepal had the time—but not the wickets. The chase was rocked early as Nepal slipped to 16/4 in 8.1 overs, instantly handing momentum and belief to UAE’s bowlers.
Captain Ashok Dhami then attempted to rebuild, later finishing as Nepal's top scorer with 34 off 66, while Aashish Luhar (25 off 40) and Roshan Bishwakarma (25 off 16) provided brief resistance. However, once the recovery phase ended, the innings folded quickly and Nepal were dismissed for 120 in 33.2 overs.
UAE's bowling unit executed with discipline and clarity: Ali Asgar Shums (3/18) and Yug Jai Sharma (3/37) led the charge, with key support from the rest of the attack to close out the final professionally.
While the final slipped away, Nepal finish the tournament as one of the top three teams, securing qualification for the U19 Asia Cup alongside UAE and Malaysia.
