NEP vs WI | Aasif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, and Mohammad Adil Alam power Nepal to huge win in second T20I

‌Nepal made the cricketing world sit back and take notice as they beat the West Indies by 90 runs in the second T20I in Sharjah on Monday. Wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora shone with the bat to power Nepal to 173/6 in the allotted 20 overs, while medium pacer Mohammad Aadil Alam led a disciplined bowling attack to bowl out the Windies for a paltry total. The win meant that the Asian side took an unassailable lead in the three-match series, with the last game to be played at the same venue on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Nepal were put on the back foot early on with opener Kushal Bhurtel and captain Rohit Paudel back in the hut by the fourth over. West Indies skipper Akeal Hosein dismissed both batters in his first two overs, but fellow opener Aasif counterattacked with four boundaries, including three in Hosein’s third over, as Nepal ended the powerplay at 39/2. With another wicket falling in the next over, the Asian side were in a spot of bother, but Sundeep Jora joined Aasif to bail them out. The pair welcomed leg-spinner Zishan Motara with three boundaries in the eighth over, with Aasif completing his half-century, in 34 balls, three overs later. Jora tried to accelerate proceedings with two sixes in two overs from Fabian Allen and Navin Bidaisee. He was severe against the pacers too, smashing a six off Jason Holder before bringing up his half-century in the next ball. Jora scored two more maximums in the next over from Jediah Blades before getting dismissed for a 39-ball 63, a knock which included five sixes and three fours. Meanwhile, Aasif remained unbeaten at 68 in 47 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, as Nepal plundered 65 runs in the last five overs. For the Windies, left-arm spinner Hosein finished with 2/21 in four overs, while medium pacer Kyle Mayers also picked up two wickets.

Chasing 174, the Caribbean side had a nightmarish start with their top three batters pershing for single-digit scores within the eighth over, with the score reading just 23. Aadil Alam, who sent back dangerman Kyle Mayers in his first over, then ran through the middle order, picking up two wickets in his next two overs as the Windies needed 110 from the last 48 balls with only five wickets in hand. Leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel’s double blow in the 14th over had West Indies on the mat. He dismissed the threatening duo of Fabian Allen and Hosein while completing a maiden over as the Windies' innings closed for just 83 runs in 17.1 overs. Aadil Alam was the star of the Nepal bowling lineup with figures of 4/24 in four overs, while Bhurtel chipped in with 3/16 as Nepal pulled off yet another stunning win against the Windies.