Nepal secured a 37-run victory against Oman in the second match of the Canada T20 Tri-Series held in King City on Sunday. Gulsan Jha played a pivotal role with both bat and ball, helping Nepal post a challenging total of 176-6 before bowling Oman out for 139.
After winning the toss, Oman chose to field, and Nepal began cautiously. Openers Anil Sah (27 off 21) and Aasif Sheikh (27 off 22) put together a 39-run partnership before Sah was dismissed by Zeeshan Maqsood. Dev Khanal was trapped lbw by Fayyaz Butt for just two runs, leaving Nepal in a shaky position at 42-2. Kushal Malla (30 off 26) and Sheikh steadied the innings, but quick dismissals followed, putting Nepal at 85-4 in the 12th over.
Kushal Bhurtel (20 off 17) and Gulsan Jha then stepped up to rescue the innings. Jha delivered an explosive knock, smashing 40 runs from 17 balls, which included three sixes and three fours. With assistance from Dipendra Singh Airee, who contributed 18 off 5 balls, Nepal reached a competitive total of 176-6. Oman’s Aqib Ilyas was their standout bowler, finishing with figures of 3-32.
Oman's chase stumbled from the outset, with Karan KC dismissing Kashyap Prajapati for a duck on the very first ball. Captain Aqib Ilyas managed only two runs, and by the end of the second over, Oman was in deep trouble at 9-2. Shoaib Khan tried to anchor the innings with a valiant 45 off 39 balls, but the middle order failed to provide adequate support.
Rafiullah’s quick-fire 33 from just 12 balls briefly revived Oman’s hopes, but once he was dismissed, Oman’s momentum stalled. Fayyaz Butt’s unbeaten 17 off 6 balls came too late to prevent Oman from being bowled out for 139 in 19.1 overs.
Karan KC finished with 3-36, while Gulsan Jha capped off his outstanding all-round display with figures of 2-14, securing Nepal's convincing win.