Nepal Demolish Oman by 87 Runs to Reach ACC Premier Cup 2026 Final

Nepal are one win away from the Asia Cup. In the first semi-final of the 2026 ACC Men’s Premier Cup at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur, Nepal bowled out Oman for just 60 to win by 87 runs and book a place in Saturday’s final against the UAE.

Airee does it with bat and ball

Nepal’s own total of 147 was modest — Oman’s bowlers had done well to keep them under 150 — but it turned out to be more than enough. Dipendra Singh Airee was named Player of the Match for an all-round performance that swung the game twice: 51 off 76 balls to give Nepal something to defend, then 3/11 with the ball to make sure it never looked in danger.

He wasn’t alone. Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets of his own, while Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and captain Rohit Paudel picked up two apiece as Oman’s batting order simply had no answer. Oman — champions of this event as recently as 2024 — were bowled out inside 29 overs chasing a target that, on paper, looked gettable.

A statement, not a scare

This wasn’t Nepal squeezing past a fancied opponent. It was a genuine statement of form heading into the final: four bowlers among the wickets, a chase that never got going, and a semi-final won with more than 20 overs unused. Combined with Nepal’s group-stage form — three wins from four — it makes them the form side left in the tournament.

What it means

The win sends Nepal into the ACC Premier Cup final on September 12 against the UAE, who beat Hong Kong in the other semi-final. The winner takes the tournament’s biggest prize: a direct berth at the 2027 Asia Cup — full coverage of that final, and what’s at stake, is in our final preview.

It is also a rematch of the last time these two sides met in an ACC Premier Cup final — a game Nepal won. More on that history, and whether it means anything on Saturday, here.