Nepal Open World Cup Preparations With Confident Win Over UAE

Nepal began their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup build-up on a strong note, registering a comfortable seven-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in their first official warm-up match on Tuesday in Chennai.

Chasing a target of 146, Nepal wrapped up the match with three overs to spare, riding on a decisive unbeaten partnership between vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh. The pair added 103 runs for the fourth wicket, stabilizing the chase after early setbacks and showcasing Nepal’s middle-order depth ahead of the tournament.

Dipendra reached his half-century off 31 deliveries, striking four boundaries and a six, while Aarif anchored the innings with an unbeaten 61 from 37 balls, decorated with eight fours and two sixes.

Earlier, the UAE posted 145 for six after being invited to bat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their innings never fully gained momentum after Karan KC removed captain Mohammad Waseem in the opening over. Sahid Khan remained unbeaten on 38, with Harshit Kaushik and Aryansh Sharma contributing 35 and 25 respectively.

Nepal’s bowling effort was led by Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane, who claimed two wickets each, while Dipendra maintained tight lines to pick up one wicket at minimal cost.

Nepal will continue their preparations with a second warm-up match against Canada in Chennai on Thursday before shifting focus to Mumbai, where they begin their World Cup campaign against the England on Sunday.