Nepal's Road to the Final: Every ACC Premier Cup 2026 Group Stage Result

Before the semi-final demolition of Oman, Nepal had to get through a four-team Group A gauntlet at the 2026 ACC Premier Cup — and they did it the hard way, finishing top with three wins and one genuinely alarming defeat. Here’s every result.

vs Bahrain — won by 7 wickets (August 31, Bangi)

Nepal’s tournament opener was over almost before it began. Sandeep Lamichhane bowled ten overs of pure control — four maidens, one wicket, and just 14 runs conceded — to help bowl Bahrain out for 87. Nepal chased it down in 14 overs, with Arjun Kumal (36 not out) and Rohit Paudel (19 not out off 14) finishing the job after an opening stand of 39.

Full detail on Lamichhane’s spell — the best figures of his tournament — is here.

vs Malaysia — won by 6 wickets (September 3, Bangi)

A tighter, lower-scoring game against the hosts. Chasing just 104, Nepal got there in 21.4 overs for the loss of four wickets — comfortable enough on the scoreboard, but a reminder that Malaysia’s bowling on home conditions was no pushover.

vs Saudi Arabia — won by 5 wickets (September 6, Kuala Lumpur)

The best batting performance of Nepal’s group stage. Saudi Arabia posted 190, built around Abdul Waheed’s 77, but Nepal chased it down with 13 overs unused. Gulsan Jha was Player of the Match with an unbeaten 44 off 35 balls, while Sandeep Lamichhane (3/19) and Dipendra Singh Airee (3/43) did the damage with the ball to keep the target within reach.

vs Hong Kong — lost by 15 runs (September 8, Kuala Lumpur)

The one blemish, and the only side in the group who genuinely troubled Nepal. Babar Hayat’s unbeaten 117 carried Hong Kong to 261/7, and Nepal’s chase never quite found the acceleration it needed — a top-order collapse to 69/2 was steadied but not repaired, and Nepal fell 15 runs short on 246 all out, despite contributions running deep into the order. The full breakdown of what went wrong is here.

The table

Nepal finished Group A top with 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 points and a net run rate of 1.531 — enough to secure the semi-final spot that led to an 87-run demolition of Oman and a place in Saturday’s final against the UAE. The final preview is here.

What the group stage showed, in the end, is a side that beats what it should beat comfortably and has one clear question mark — a top-order chase against genuine pace and a set batter at the other end. Hong Kong exposed it. Whether the UAE can do the same in the final is the story of Saturday.