Kathmandu: In the semifinal of the U-19 ACC Premier Cup, Nepal faced Japan. After losing the toss and batting first, Nepal scored 140 runs, losing 2 wickets in 22.1 overs. Before the game was stopped due to rain, Akash Thapa was on 35 runs, and Captain Dev Khanal was on 8 runs. Prior to that, Dipak Bohora had scored 79 runs, and Arjun Kumal had contributed 10 runs.

Nepal was unable to bat further due to heavy rain, and Japan set a target of 187 runs in 25 overs, based on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

After a strong start by Nepal, Japan could only manage to score 43 runs. Suvas Bhandari took Yamamoto’s wicket in the 11.4th over. In a fierce contest, he kept the Japanese batsmen at bay.

For Nepal, Hemant Dhami and Dipesh Kandel each took three wickets, while Suvas Bhandari took two, and Akash Chand took one wicket.

In another semifinal match on Saturday, the UAE defeated Singapore using the DLS method, taking all 10 wickets. Singapore had scored 156 runs in 49 overs, and in response, the UAE restricted them to just 4 runs in 7 overs before rain interrupted the game. When play resumed, the UAE achieved the target of 113 runs without losing a wicket in 15.5 overs.

With their performance, Nepal and the UAE have secured their spots in the U-19 Asia Cup final. Both teams will be in Group A, along with India and Pakistan.

The defeated teams, Singapore and Japan, will compete for the third position, and the winner will also get a chance to play in the Asia Cup. This group will be in Group B, alongside Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.