Kathmandu: Nepal has suffered its third consecutive defeat in the ICC World Cup Cricket League-2, losing to Canada by five wickets in a match held this morning at King City, Canada. Chasing a target of 182 runs, Canada reached the total in 42 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
Navneet Dhaliwal and Pragat Singh were standout performers for Canada, both scoring half-centuries. Dhaliwal top-scored with 87 runs off 113 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes, while Pragat contributed 64 runs from 83 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Despite an early setback when opener Aaron Johnson was dismissed for a duck, Dhaliwal and Pragat formed a crucial 122-run partnership for the second wicket, steering their team toward victory.
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets, while Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, and Lalit Rajbanshi each claimed one wicket. Batting first after winning the toss, Nepal managed to score 181 runs before being bowled out in 46.1 overs. Lamichhane was Nepal’s highest scorer with 49 runs off 48 balls, marking his best performance in One Day Internationals (ODIs) to date. Gulshan Jha added 34 runs off 56 balls, while Karan KC contributed 24 and Sompal Kami chipped in with 21.
For Canada, Kaleem Sana excelled with the ball, taking three wickets, while Harsh Thaker and Dilon Heyliger each claimed two wickets. Praveen Kumar and Saadwin Zafar also added one wicket each.
Having lost to Canada by 103 runs in the first match of the triangular series, Nepal will look to bounce back as they prepare to face Oman in their final match of the series on Tuesday.