Nepal Beat Oman to Seal Sixth Place in League 2

Nepal closed out its ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign with a nervy 10-run win over Oman at Al Amerat on Monday, sealing sixth place and ODI status thanks to a record 139-run stand between Rohit Paudel and player-of-the-match Dipendra Singh Airee.

The win that sealed sixth place

On Monday 19 October, Nepal brought its long ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign to a fittingly tense close at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman. After electing to bat, Nepal posted 280 in 50 overs, then held Oman to 270 for seven to win by 10 runs — a finish the hosts never quite managed to escape.

The victory was Nepal's third in four matches during the Al Amerat tri-series, Cricnepal reported, and it took Nepal to 30 points from 36 matches in the overall League 2 cycle: 14 wins, 20 defeats and two no-results, with the net run rate ending at 0.000. That tally lifted Nepal above Canada, who finished seventh with 29 points, and secured the sixth place Nepal needed.

Online Khabar described the result as a remarkable comeback with the ball in a match Nepal had to win to retain its one-day international status. According to Cricnepal, the Asian Cricket Council announced after the match that Nepal had retained its ODI status, although official confirmation from the ICC was not yet available at the time of publication. The Kathmandu Post noted that the competition provides a pathway toward qualification for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, keeping Nepal's road to the global event open.

Rohit and Dipendra's record 139-run stand rebuilds the innings

Nepal's innings was built around a rescue act. After electing to bat, the tourists lost opener Aasif Sheikh for seven, and when Dev Khanal (57 off 65 balls, with four fours and a six) and Ishan Pandey (29 off 60) were both stumped off Samay Shrivastava after adding 64 for the second wicket, Nepal had slipped to 99 for three.

What followed was the finest fourth-wicket partnership in Nepal's ODI history. Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee added 139 runs from 120 balls, carrying the total from 99 for three to 238 for four. Cricnepal reported that the stand surpassed Nepal's previous fourth-wicket ODI record of 96, shared by Bhim Sharki and Gulshan Jha.

Rohit led the way with 80 off 81 deliveries, striking two fours and two sixes, while Dipendra struck three fours and four sixes in his 69 from 62 balls. The pair's momentum carried Nepal toward a commanding total, but Oman fought back at the death: Nepal lost their final seven wickets for 42 runs, with Shah Faisal claiming five for 57 from eight overs and Jay Odedra taking three for 44. Basir Ahamad's brisk 17 from seven balls pushed the total to 280 before the final wicket fell from the last delivery.

Oman's chase falls apart after 190 for 1

Chasing 281, Oman looked in complete control for long stretches. After Hasnain Ul Wahab fell for 15, Jatinder Singh and Hammad Mirza took charge, adding 158 for the second wicket to carry Oman to 190 for one at the end of the 38th over — 91 needed from the final 12 overs with nine wickets in hand. Jatinder made 89 from 114 balls with seven fours and a six; Hammad scored 87 from 97 deliveries, hitting five fours and three sixes.

Nepal's response was ruthless. Lalit Rajbanshi produced the breakthrough, having Jatinder caught by Dipendra from the final ball of the 38th over, and Sandeep Lamichhane removed Hammad — caught behind — in the 41st. Dipendra then tightened the screws, trapping Mujibur Ali lbw for eight and dismissing Oman captain Vinayak Shukla for 13, before Rohit and Lalit combined to run out Sanju Sajeev. Oman had collapsed from 190 for one to 232 for six in the 46th over, losing five wickets for 42 runs.

Hassnain Shah kept the chase alive with an unbeaten 40 from 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, but Nandan Yadav dismissed Shah Faisal from the final ball of the 49th over. Needing 23 from the last six deliveries, bowled by Dipendra, Oman could manage only 12, finishing on 270 for seven. Online Khabar's account of the tense finale recorded a dot ball and a failure to score off the last delivery as Nepal sealed the 10-run win, with Lalit Rajbanshi finishing with two for 53.

Dipendra Singh Airee's match-winning all-round day

If one player defined the contest, it was Dipendra Singh Airee. His 69 off 62 balls rescued Nepal's innings alongside Rohit, and his two for 60 broke Oman's resistance at the decisive moment, removing Mujibur Ali and captain Shukla as the chase unravelled. He also took the catch that dismissed the set Jatinder Singh, and bowled the pressure-filled final over with 23 runs to defend.

Cricnepal named him the player of the match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, a fitting recognition for a performance that delivered with bat, ball and in the field. The 139-run stand with Rohit also wrote his name into Nepal's record books, becoming the country's highest fourth-wicket partnership in ODIs.

Airee's all-round form arrives at an ideal moment for Nepali cricket. The international calendar now gives way to the domestic festival: the Nepal Premier League's third season begins on October 26 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, and performances like this one are exactly what the NPL's franchises — and the watching world — will have noted.

What the result means — and what comes next

The numbers tell the story of a campaign rescued at the very end. Nepal's 30 points from 36 matches left them one point clear of seventh-placed Canada and sixth overall, with the campaign's net run rate ending at 0.000. After the Asian Cricket Council announced that Nepal had retained ODI status, the only formality left is the ICC's official confirmation.

The Kathmandu Post noted that League 2 offers a pathway toward qualification for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, and a sixth-place finish keeps Nepal on that route while preserving the ODI fixtures that matter so much to the country's cricket economy.

For fans, attention now swings to the domestic calendar. The NPL Season 3 teams are gathering ahead of the tournament opener on October 26 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, with Lumbini Lions defending the title they won last season against Sudurpaschim Royals. Supporters can check the full NPL Season 3 schedule, find ticket information for Kirtipur, and read how to watch NPL Season 3 live as Nepal's biggest T20 festival gets underway.