ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier Final 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Hong Kong vs Kuwait, Match 4
In Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, Nepal and Oman have taken the early lead, both securing victories in their opening matches. Nepal stands atop the table with 2 points and an impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of 1.659. Oman follows closely, also with 2 points and a NRR of 1.600. Malaysia and Singapore find themselves at the bottom of the group with no points and negative NRRs of -1.600 and -1.659 respectively.
Meanwhile, in Group B, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have shown their mettle, each winning their initial matches. Hong Kong leads the group with 2 points and a strong NRR of 0.800. UAE follows closely with 2 points and a notable NRR of 0.723. On the other hand, Bahrain and Kuwait are currently at the bottom of the table, both without any points and carrying negative NRRs of -0.723 and -0.800 respectively.
ICC Men's T20 World Asia Regional Final 2023: Nepal, UAE, Oman, Hong Kong register victories on Day 1
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier Final witnessed a series of exciting matches. In the first game, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) displayed their dominance, defeating Bahrain. Bahrain set a target of 135/6 with Haider Butt's unbeaten 59.
UAE chased it successfully, reaching 137/5 with Ali Naseer's unbeaten 48. This along with his crucial bowling performance (1/20), earned him the Player of the Match award.
In Kirtipur, Nepal secured a convincing 8-wicket win over Singapore. Singapore managed to post 145/9 with Rohan Rangarajan's top score of 46 runs. Nepal's response was strong, with Kushal Bhurtel scoring 74 runs. They comfortably reached the target of 146, earning a Player of the Match award for Bhurtel's performance.
Oman secured a 32-run victory against Malaysia. Oman scored 153/6, with Zeeshan Maqsood contributing an unbeaten 56. Malaysia struggled to 121/8, with Virandeep Singh scoring an unbeaten 57. Bilal Khan and Zeeshan Maqsood were pivotal for Oman, both claiming two wickets each.
In a closely contested match, Hong Kong emerged victorious by 16 runs against Kuwait. Martin Coetzee's 81 set the tone for Hong Kong. Kuwait's Mohammed Aslam's 52 and Bilal Tahir's 36 kept the chase alive.
However, Hong Kong's disciplined bowling, particularly from Ehsan Khan and Ayush Shukla, secured the win, with Aizaz Khan taking three wickets. Kuwait managed 150/8 in pursuit of Hong Kong's 166/6.