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Hosts Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are one win away from the Asian Cup as they play the ACC Super Cup final at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Monday.
The result would open the door for both sides to brush shoulders with the giants of world cricket as the champions join India and Pakistan in the Asian Cup final scheduled for September in Pakistan. The six teams in the Asian Cup include another group of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Nepal reached the semi-finals, maintaining their unbeaten run and finishing top of their group after winning three of their four matches after being knocked out against Saudi Arabia.In Saturday’s semi-final against Kuwait, due to rain and Nepal was declared the winner Kuwait reached the semi-finals as runners-up in Group B thanks to their better record in the group stage.
The UAE also top Group B, winning three of their four games and clashing with the hosts on Saturday with a two-point win over Oman in D/L.
“The final is very important and it’s a great opportunity for us to play against India and Pakistan,” Nepal captain Rohit Podell said after reaching the final on Saturday.
“Not only for us, this match is equally important for the UAE. There will be a lot of pressure on both sides. The team that can handle the pressure better may have an advantage in the final,” Podell said, adding said UAE opener and captain Mohammad Wasim could be a threat to them. “Waseem is one of the key players in the UAE team and can start the team quickly. If we manage to get rid of him early, we can put pressure on them.”
Nepal is experiencing rich form as they have won 11 of their last 12 ICC World Cup League 2 matches from 14th February to 16th March. The only game Nepal has lost was a 68-run loss to the UAE at DSC on March 2.
Previously, the two sides had played three bilateral one-day international series at the TU Stadium in November last year. Although the visitors won the opening match, Nepal won the next two matches to seal the series 2-1.
Considering the performance in the past few months, Nepal has the advantage over the visitors. However, the UAE has been a tough opponent for Nepal and could prove to be a major challenge.
However, the weather forecast has cast doubt on the race, as the forecasting service predicted rain could be expected across the country on Monday and Tuesday.
If rain makes playing conditions impossible, the game will be postponed to Tuesday’s reserved day. If the game still cannot be played on the prep day, or if the game is tied or inconclusive, teams will play a maximum of two super games.
If still inconclusive, the top ICC seeded team advances. Such a scenario would mean that Nepal automatically qualify for the Asian Cup by virtue of their 14th and UAE 19th positions in the ICC men’s ODI rankings.
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