MUSCAT: Oman slumped to a second successive defeat to conclude a disappointing ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Nepal, going down by 81 runs as the hosts rode on a near-century from Aasif Sheikh and a devastating five-wicket burst from young pacer Gulshan Jha.
Chasing 257, Oman never found sustained momentum and were bowled out for 175 in 39.5 overs, exposing the fragility that plagued the Sulakshan Kulkarni-coached side throughout the tour, where they managed just one win (against Nepal) in four outings.
Jha began his devastating spell (5/38) with the wicket of debutant Hasnain Ul Wahab and then ripped through the middle order, sending back Aryan Bisht and Jiten Ramanandi before returning to remove Oman’s top scorer Vinayak Shukla and Hassnain Shah.
Earlier, opener Aasif Sheikh laid the foundation of Nepal’s innings with a polished 94 off 97 balls, falling agonisingly short of a deserved hundred but setting the platform for a competitive 256.
He stitched a crucial 123-run second-wicket stand with Arjun Kumal (48), steadying the innings after the hosts lost Binod Bhandari in the second over with Nepal yet to open their scoring.
Though Oman kept things tight for long phases — with spinners Nadeem Khan (3/41) and Shakeel Ahmed (2/43) leading the effort — Nepal surged late.
Aarif Sheikh’s explosive 43 off 24 balls, laced with four sixes, lifted the hosts past the 250-mark, with 70 runs coming in the final powerplay.
In reply, Oman began briskly, reaching 50 inside the first nine overs, but early strikes derailed the chase. Captain Jatinder Singh fell cheaply for 12, and the run-out of Siddharth Bukkapatnam further dented momentum (42/2), leaving the middle order with too much to do.
Hammad Mirza (34) and Vinayak Shukla (36) attempted to rebuild, but wickets fell at regular intervals, preventing any meaningful partnership from taking shape.
Jha’s fiery spell was supported by Sandeep Lamichhane, who kept things tight with 1/30, while Dipendra Singh Airee chipped in with a wicket as Oman’s resistance faded, sealing a comprehensive victory.
The result underlined Oman’s inconsistency across the series — flashes of promise undone by batting collapses and an inability to close out key moments — leaving the team with plenty to reassess ahead of future assignments.
OMAN REMAIN THIRD
At the end of the tri-series, Oman remain third in the eight-nation table with the top four advancing to the World Cup Qualifiers.
Oman have 31 points from 28 matches, while the USA top the table with 36 from 24 games. Scotland are second with 34 from 28 games while the Netherlands are closely behind Oman with 28 from 24 matches. Namibia (22 from 28 games), Canada (21 from 24), Nepal (18 from 24) and the UAE (14 from 24) round off the table.
Brief scores: Nepal 256 in 49.5 overs (Aasif Sheikh 94, Arjun Kumal 48, Dipendra Singh Airee 33, Aarif Sheikh 43; Shakeel Ahmed 2/43, Nadeem Khan 3/41, Hassnain Shah 2/58) beat Oman 175 in 39.5 overs (Vinayak Shukla 36, Hammad Mirza 34, Hasnain Ul Wahab 29; Gulshan Jha 5/38).
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