Nepali cricket team returns home after historic ODI win

KATHMANDU, Aug 6: The Nepali national cricket team has returned home on Monday, after making a history by securing its first ODI win against the Netherlands in Amstelveen, Netherlands.

Nepal, who earned title the ‘cardiac king’ for its display, defeated the host Netherlands by 1 run in the second one-day international on Friday. Nepal had faced a 55-run defeat in the first ODI played earlier.

The cricket team was given a heroic welcome by National Sports Council member secretary Keshav Kumar Bista.

Nepal will now prepare for the Asia Cup qualifiers to be held from August 29 to September 6, where top six associate nations will compete for a place in Asia Cup 2018. Nepal will compete against Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Earlier in March, Nepal earned ODI status till 2022 from the International Cricket Council for the first time in its cricket history after it defeated Papua New Guinea by six wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier playoff in Harare, Zimbabwe.