After suffering a heavy defeat to India in their opening match, Pakistan rebounded strongly with a nine-wicket victory over Nepal, significantly boosting their Net Run Rate (NRR). Openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza forged a century partnership in a modest chase of 109, securing the win with 8.1 overs remaining.
The Key Difference: Pakistan's Bowling
Pakistan's bowlers not only struck early, but also maintained tight control during the middle overs, effectively containing the inexperienced Nepalese batters.
Nepal's Innings:
PowerPlay: Early Setbacks
Score: 30/3 [6x4s]
Nepal, batting first, faced an uphill battle right from the start. Fatima Sana dismissed Samjhana Khadka in the opening over, and Sadia Iqbal’s double strike in the fifth over left Nepal struggling at three down early on.
Middle Overs: Struggling in the Middle
Score: 38/2
Nepal struggled to score during the middle phase, compounded by the runouts of Rubina Chhetry and Sita Rana Magar. At 65/5, they found it difficult to advance against Pakistan's spinners.
Death Overs: Late Flourish
Score: 40/1
Nepal appeared unlikely to reach three figures at the 15-over mark, but a valuable partnership between Puja Mahato (25 off 32) and Kabita Joshi (31 off 23) added 34 runs, pushing the score to 108/6. Mahato was run out in the final over after playing her part in the recovery. Sadia Iqbal ended with two wickets.
Pakistan's Innings:
PowerPlay: Solid Start
Score: 52/0 [9x4s]
Pakistan capitalised on fielding restrictions, scoring nearly half the required runs during the PowerPlay. Gull Feroza opened with a boundary off the first ball and continued to dominate the strike. Muneeba Ali contributed with three boundaries later in the PowerPlay.
Middle Overs: Clinching Victory
Score: 58/1 [9x4s]
Feroza and Muneeba continued to score freely against the inexperienced Nepal bowlers. Pakistan chased down the target in just 11.5 overs. Feroza reached her fifty in 29 balls but was dismissed with four runs needed. Muneeba remained unbeaten, four runs short of her fifty, ensuring Pakistan's comprehensive win.
Next Matches:
Pakistan will face UAE on July 23, the same day Nepal plays against India.
Brief Scores:
- Nepal: 108/6 in 20 overs (Kabita Joshi 31; Sadia Iqbal 2-19)
- Pakistan: 110/1 in 11.5 overs (Gull Feroza 57, Muneeba Ali 46; Kabita Joshi 1-19)
Pakistan won by 9 wickets.