Aasif Sheikh's Century Lifts Nepal to 313 in ACC Premier Cup Final

AN UNBEATEN ROAD TO THE FINAL

Nepal arrived at the final having not lost a match in the tournament. In the group stage they beat Malaysia by six wickets, then ran down a target of 191 against Saudi Arabia in Kuala Lumpur with 54 balls to spare, finishing Group A undefeated as top seed alongside Hong Kong. In the semifinal, Nepal beat Oman to book their place in the final, setting up a repeat of the tournament's very first decider.

THE FINAL, AND A CENTURY FROM AASIF SHEIKH

Nepal won the toss and chose to bat first against the UAE at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, September 12. Opener Aasif Sheikh anchored the innings with 102 off 106 balls, his second ODI hundred, while Gulshan Jha provided a late burst of acceleration down the order. Nepal posted 313 for 9 in their 50 overs, a total that puts real pressure on a UAE side that has struggled against Nepal in recent meetings.

THE HISTORY BEHIND THIS MATCHUP

This is not a new rivalry for a spot at the top. Nepal beat this same UAE side in the inaugural ACC Premier Cup final back in 2023, and the head-to-head record since has stayed lopsided in Nepal's favor: the two sides met twice in ODIs in Kirtipur earlier this year, with Nepal winning both, first by 37 runs and then by six runs under the DLS method. A 313-run target adds to a pattern where UAE have rarely been able to match Nepal's batting depth in this fixture.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN

The prize on the table is a place at the 2027 Asia Cup, the reason the ACC Premier Cup exists as a qualifying tournament in the first place. For Nepal, an Asia Cup appearance would add to an already packed year that includes a place in the men's cricket competition at this month's Asian Games, continuing the squad's rise up Associate cricket's rankings after several years of steady results against Full Member sides in bilateral series and World Cup qualifiers.

WHERE THINGS STAND

UAE's chase of 314 was still underway as this was written, with Nepal's bowlers looking to defend a total well clear of anything either side has posted against each other in this fixture before. Given Nepal's recent record in this exact matchup, and the size of Saturday's total, Nepal go into the defense as clear favorites to add a second ACC Premier Cup title and a second consecutive Asia Cup qualification to their name.