The Nepal National Cricket Team Vs United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team Match Scorecard from April 25, 2026, tells the story of a composed, clinical Nepali performance. Batting first at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Nepal were in serious trouble at multiple stages but Dipendra Singh Airee’s gutsy 75 off 90 balls lifted them to 200 all out. When UAE’s turn came, Karan KC turned the chase into a wreckage with a devastating 4/19, bundling the Emiratis out for 163 in 48.2 overs.
Nepal earned two crucial points in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 2023/24–2027, boosting their slim hopes of a top-six finish. Dipendra Singh Airee, who batted when his team needed it most and then returned to take a wicket, was the undisputed Player of the Match. The United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team Vs Nepal National Cricket Team Match Scorecard shows a game that was far more competitive than the margin suggests, yet Nepal’s lower order composure and bowling discipline made all the difference.
Disclaimer: This article is based on official match data and scorecards available at the time of publishing. Scores, statistics, and records are accurate to the best of our knowledge and sourced from reliable cricket databases. Inningspulse.com is not affiliated with the ICC, Cricket Nepal, or United Arab Emirates Cricket. For live or post-match updates, please refer to official sources.
Match Summary Table
| Team | Runs | Wickets | Overs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 200 | 10 | 48.2 | Set target of 201 |
| United Arab Emirates | 163 | 10 | 48.2 | Lost by 37 runs |
Nepal’s innings was a tale of two halves: a top-order collapse that left them reeling at 57/4 inside 14 overs, and then a remarkable rebuild spearheaded by Airee. The UAE chase started cautiously, crumbled under spin in the middle overs, and had no real recovery despite Harpreet Singh (39) and Muhammad Waseem (34) briefly threatening. Karan KC’s brilliant spell in the death sealed a 37-run win for the hosts.
Batting Highlights — Nepal First Innings (200 All Out in 48.2 Overs)
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushal Bhurtel | 24 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 96.00 | c Adeeb Usmani b Ajay Kumar |
| Aasif Sheikh (wk) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 116.67 | b Khuzaima Tanveer |
| Bhim Sharki | 10 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 | b Khuzaima Tanveer |
| Rohit Paudel (c) | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 | lbw b Ajay Kumar |
| Basir Ahamad | 20 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 | c & b Haider Ali |
| Aarif Sheikh | 15 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 48.39 | b Junaid Siddique |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 75 | 90 | 5 | 2 | 83.33 | b Junaid Siddique |
| Sompal Kami | 15 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 | c Muhammad Waseem b Muhammad Shahdad |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 41.67 | lbw b Ajay Kumar |
| Karan KC | 22 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 59.46 | not out |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | b Junaid Siddique |
| Extras | 5 | (b 2, lb 1, nb 1, w 1) | ||||
| Total | 200 | 10 | 48.2 | 4.14 RR |
Fall of Wickets (Nepal): 8-1 (Aasif Sheikh, 1.5 ov), 18-2 (Bhim Sharki, 4.3 ov), 39-3 (Kushal Bhurtel, 9.2 ov), 57-4 (Rohit Paudel, 13.6 ov), 98-5 (Basir Ahamad, 26.3 ov), 128-6 (Aarif Sheikh, 33.4 ov), 159-7 (Sompal Kami, 39.4 ov), 161-8 (Lalit Rajbanshi, 40.5 ov), 200-9 (Airee, 48.2 ov)
Nepal’s batting was a catalogue of missed opportunities at the top before Airee steadied the ship. The openers were dislodged cheaply, and UAE’s debutant Khuzaima Tanveer burst through with two quick scalps. The captain Rohit Paudel’s dismissal for 2 left Nepal at 57/4, effectively leaving the middle order to rescue a competitive total. Airee’s partnership of 41 with Basir Ahamad (5th wicket) and 30 with Aarif Sheikh (6th wicket) pushed the total past 100. His unbroken 39-run stand with Karan KC for the 9th wicket in the final stages was the difference between 170 and 200.
Bowling Figures — UAE Bowling in Nepal’s Innings
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junaid Siddique | 9.2 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 3.53 |
| Ajay Kumar | 9 | 1 | 34 | 3 | 3.77 |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 8 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 5.38 |
| Muhammad Shahdad | 8 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 4.38 |
| Haider Ali | 10 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 4.20 |
| Muhammad Waseem | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3.00 |
UAE’s bowling was disciplined. Junaid Siddique was the most economical, keeping the pressure on through three maidens in under 10 overs. Debutant Ajay Kumar matched him wicket-for-wicket and showed genuine promise. Another debutant, Khuzaima Tanveer, gave UAE an electric start with both his scalps coming in the powerplay. What hurt UAE was the inability to finish off the tail: Airee and Karan KC shared an unbeaten stand of 39 for the 9th wicket that pushed Nepal above 200.
Batting Highlights — UAE Second Innings (163 All Out in 48.2 Overs)
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aryansh Sharma | 18 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 62.07 | lbw b Dipendra Singh Airee |
| Adeeb Usmani (wk) | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 | lbw b Karan KC |
| Muhammad Shahdad | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | lbw b Karan KC |
| Harpreet Singh | 39 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 75.00 | lbw b Lalit Rajbanshi |
| Akshdeep Nath | 30 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 56.60 | c Basir Ahamad b Sompal Kami |
| Muhammad Waseem (c) | 34 | 51 | 3 | 1 | 66.67 | c Aarif Sheikh b Sompal Kami |
| Nilansh Keswani | 18 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 54.55 | st Aasif Sheikh b Sandeep Lamichhane |
| Khuzaima Tanveer | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 8.33 | b Sandeep Lamichhane |
| Haider Ali | 8 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 25.81 | c Basir Ahamad b Karan KC |
| Ajay Kumar | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 | c Rohit Paudel b Karan KC |
| Junaid Siddique | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 100.00 | not out |
| Extras | 3 | (b 3, w 0, nb 0) | ||||
| Total | 163 | 10 | 48.2 | 3.37 RR |
Fall of Wickets (UAE): 3-1 (Adeeb Usmani, 2.2 ov), 5-2 (Muhammad Shahdad, 3.0 ov), 39-3 (Aryansh Sharma, 9.5 ov), 73-4 (Harpreet Singh, 18.1 ov), 126-5 (Akshdeep Nath, 32.1 ov), 135-6 (Muhammad Waseem, 34.3 ov), 138-7 (Khuzaima Tanveer, 37.3 ov), 154-8 (Haider Ali, 45.2 ov), 154-9 (Nilansh Keswani, 46.3 ov), 163-10 (Ajay Kumar, 48.2 ov)
UAE’s chase fell apart in the powerplay. Losing two wickets inside 5 runs left the Emiratis at 5/2 from just 3 overs. Aryansh Sharma and Harpreet Singh steadied things temporarily, but Airee’s removal of Sharma with his off-spin at 39 was a decisive moment. Harpreet Singh played attractively for 39 before Lalit Rajbanshi broke the Waseem-Harpreet stand. The 5th-wicket partnership of 53 between debutant Akshdeep Nath and Muhammad Waseem gave UAE false hope: both fell in quick succession to Sompal Kami, triggering a final collapse that Karan KC finished off in clinical fashion.
Bowling Figures — Nepal Bowling in UAE’s Chase
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karan KC | 9.2 | 2 | 19 | 4 | 2.04 |
| Sompal Kami | 9 | 1 | 50 | 2 | 5.56 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 10 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | 10 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 2.50 |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | 6 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 3.67 |
| Basir Ahamad | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Rohit Paudel | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 |
Karan KC was simply unplayable. His 4/19 from 9.2 overs at an economy of 2.04 was a masterclass in right-arm seam bowling at a home-friendly Kirtipur track. He combined with Sandeep Lamichhane’s wrist spin superbly: Lamichhane’s 2/25 from 10 tight overs kept the run rate in check throughout the middle. Sompal Kami’s two wickets came at a crucial juncture when UAE briefly threatened at 126/4, breaking the Waseem-Nath stand that was building momentum.
Key Moments and Tactical Analysis
Toss Impact: UAE won the toss and elected to field first, which appeared the right call given Kirtipur’s tendency to assist pace early. The plan worked in the powerplay as UAE reduced Nepal to 39/3 in 10 overs.
Powerplay Momentum: Nepal leaked 48 runs for 3 wickets in the first 10 overs. UAE were sharper with 39 runs but also lost 3 wickets. Both sides found the powerplay difficult, underlining the pitch’s early movement.
Turning Point: Nepal’s 9th-wicket stand between Airee (75) and Karan KC (22) was the match’s pivotal moment. They added 39 precious runs to push the total from 161 to 200. Without those runs, 163 might have been sufficient for UAE.
Captaincy Decisions: Rohit Paudel’s bowling rotations were sensible. Using Airee as the first change gave Nepal a breakthrough through spin early in the UAE innings. Saving Karan KC for the latter half of the innings proved decisive as the pitch began to grip more.
Pitch and Conditions: The TU Ground surface offered early pace movement and then increasingly favoured spin as the day went on. Both Lamichhane and Karan KC extracted bounce and turn in the middle and death overs. Nepal, batting through the conditions, absorbed early pressure, while UAE, chasing, never coped with the twin spin threat at a total they needed to chase crisply.
Key Stats Comparison Table
| Metric | Nepal | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Total Runs | 200 | 163 |
| Wickets Lost | 10 | 10 |
| Overs Faced | 48.2 | 48.2 |
| Run Rate | 4.14 | 3.37 |
| Extras | 5 | 3 |
| Fours | 18 | 9 |
| Sixes | 3 | 0 |
| Dot Ball % | 64% | 67% |
| Powerplay Score | 48/3 (10 ov) | 39/3 (10 ov) |
| Middle Overs (10–40) | 120/4 | 18 runs (middle phase lower) |
| Top Scorer | D.S. Airee (75) | Harpreet Singh (39) |
| Best Bowler | Karan KC (4/19) | Junaid Siddique (3/33) |
| Player of the Match | Dipendra Singh Airee | — |
Nepal hit twice the number of boundaries as UAE, which was ultimately the differentiator in a low-scoring game. UAE’s dot-ball percentage of 67% actually edges Nepal’s 64%, but the Nepalis played their dots at more economical phases and accelerated when it mattered. UAE never generated the same boundary-hitting intensity in the chase.
Head-to-Head Analysis and Historical Rivalry
Nepal vs UAE — ODI Head-to-Head Record (All-Time, as of April 25, 2026)
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Total ODI Matches Played | 17 |
| Nepal Wins | 10 |
| UAE Wins | 7 |
| Nepal Avg Score | 167 |
| UAE Avg Score | 174 |
| Most Runs for Nepal | Dipendra Singh Airee (432) |
| Most Runs for UAE | Muhammad Waseem (505) |
| Highest Individual Score (Nepal) | Rohit Paudel (109) |
| Highest Individual Score (UAE) | Asif Khan (101) |
| Nepal’s Biggest Win | 177 runs (Kirtipur, Mar 12, 2023) |
| UAE’s Biggest Win | 99 runs (Dubai, Mar 21, 2022) |
Nepal hold a comfortable head-to-head advantage in ODIs despite UAE’s higher average run count. The rivalry has intensified through the WCL2 cycle, with both teams frequently meeting in ICC qualification matches.
Historical Rivalry
Nepal and UAE have shared a competitive but respectful rivalry that primarily unfolds in the ICC World Cricket League and CWC League 2 ecosystem. Muhammad Waseem remains UAE’s most dangerous batter across all formats against Nepal, while Dipendra Singh Airee has repeatedly risen in must-win moments for the Rhinos.
The November 2025 WCL2 match at Dubai (Match 90) was a recent reminder of UAE’s threat: they chased down 240 comfortably, posting 243/6, with Waseem (76) and Muhammad Shahdad (96) dominating Nepal’s attack. Nepal carried that hurt into the April 2026 home series, and this 37-run win in the 97th match represents their most convincing response in recent meetings.
Both teams entered the April 2026 bilateral series fresh from a 1-1 T20I split: UAE won the DLS-affected first T20I while Nepal won the second by 8 wickets. That context lent the ODI stage additional competitive energy, and Nepal’s 37-run win here was a clear statement on their home conditions.
Conclusion
The Nepal National Cricket Team Vs United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team Match Scorecard of April 25, 2026, will be remembered primarily for Dipendra Singh Airee’s fighting 75 and Karan KC’s matchwinning 4/19. Nepal were staring down the barrel at 57/4 before Airee rebuilt from the wreckage, and then their bowlers ensured UAE never came close in the chase.
For Nepal, the 2-point gain keeps alive their prospects in the ICC CWC League 2 qualification race. For UAE, who had multiple debutants, the batting middle order showed enough promise, but their inability to handle Nepal’s spin in a low-run chase is a concern going forward.
With another WCL2 match against UAE scheduled shortly as Match 100 at Kirtipur (May 1, 2026), both teams will carry fresh tactical lessons into that contest. Nepal will want to convert home advantage into a series win; UAE will look to correct their middle-overs frailties against spin.
? FAQs
What was the final score in the Nepal vs UAE 97th WCL2 match?
Nepal scored 200 all out and UAE were bowled out for 163. Nepal won by 37 runs.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal), for his 75 off 90 balls and 1/30 with the ball.
Who scored the most runs?
Dipendra Singh Airee top-scored with 75 for Nepal; Harpreet Singh top-scored for UAE with 39.
Who took the most wickets?
Karan KC (Nepal) took 4 wickets for 19 runs in 9.2 overs.
What was the turning point of the match?
Nepal’s 9th-wicket stand of 39 between Airee and Karan KC pushed the total to 200, which proved 37 runs beyond UAE’s reach.
Where was the match played?
At the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, Nepal.
Who won the toss?
UAE won the toss and elected to bowl first.
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