Kathmandu: In a closely contested match, Nepal faced a five-run defeat against Oman during the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers. The match took place at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

With this victory, Oman secures the top position in Group 'A,' while Nepal finishes as the first runner-up. Nepal was limited to a total of 140 runs in their allotted 20 overs, losing nine wickets. Oman had set a target of 146 runs for Nepal to chase.

For Nepal, Bibek Yadav was the top scorer with 39 runs off 24 balls, while Kushal Bhurtel contributed 26, and Karan KC added 15 to the scoreboard. Additionally, Ashif Sheikh scored five, while Sompal Kami, Captain Rohit Poudel, and Sandeep Jora managed 12 runs each, and Gulshan Jha added three.

Oman's Bilal Khan was the leading wicket-taker with three wickets, while Aqib Ilyas, Shakeel Ahmad, and Mehran Khan secured two wickets each. Oman's captain, Zeeshan Maqsood, also took one wicket.

In the first innings, Oman, after losing the toss, posted a score of 145 runs in their allotted 20 overs, with the loss of nine wickets. Zeeshan Maqsood was the top scorer with 32 runs off 26 balls. Other notable contributions came from Naseem Khusi (25), Pratik Athavale (24), Shakeel Ahmad (22), and Ayaan Khan (18).

Nepal's Karan KC took three wickets, while Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane secured two wickets each. Additionally, Gulshan Jha and Avinash Bohora managed to take one wicket each.

Nepal will now face the winner of Group 'B,' the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the semifinals scheduled for Friday.