‘We Belong Here’ – Paudel’s Message After Nepal’s Near Miss Against South Africa Kathmandu, Nepal – Nepal’s head coach, Megraj Paudel, has expressed his team’s determination to compete with the world’s best after their narrow defeat to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 12s on Sunday. Despite a valiant effort, Nepal fell just short against the Proteas, losing by nine wickets with 37 balls to spare. However, Paudel took solace in his team’s performance, which he believes sends a strong message to the cricketing world. “We belong here. We can compete with the best. We showed our skills and determination today,” Paudel said after the match. Nepal’s lower-order batters, led by Aasif Sheikh’s 31 and Dipendra Singh Airee’s 28, helped them post a respectable total of 118/9. However, South Africa’s top order chased down the target with ease, thanks to fifties from Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw. “We know we have to improve. Our fielding was not up to the mark. But I’m proud of the way the boys fought,” said Paudel. Nepal’s T20 World Cup campaign will continue with a match against Bangladesh on Wednesday. Paudel is hopeful that his team can build on their performance against South Africa and secure their first victory in the tournament. “We have to take the confidence from this game into the next. We need to be more consistent and disciplined. If we do that, we can beat anyone,” said Paudel. Nepal’s performance against South Africa has undoubtedly raised their profile in the cricketing world. The team’s determination and fighting spirit have captured the imagination of fans around the globe, proving that they belong at the highest level. With two more matches to go, Paudel’s message is clear: Nepal is here to make a statement.Nepal Nearly Upsets South Africa in Thrilling World Cup Encounter
Nepal Nearly Upsets South Africa in Thrilling World Cup Encounter Nepal came agonizingly close to securing a historic victory against tournament favorites South Africa in Group D of the 2024 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. With only eight runs needed off six balls, the Nepali fans erupted in a deafening roar as the Rhinos tantalizingly approached their first-ever win against a Test-playing nation. However, Ottneil Baartman’s astute bowling, including clever use of the short ball, thwarted Nepal’s hopes. Striker Gulshan Jha missed both his attempts at a winning shot, and a final desperate attempt to steal a bye ricocheted off Jha’s back into the arms of Heinrich Klaasen, who executed a direct hit to secure a run-out. Despite the defeat, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel expressed pride in his team’s performance, particularly their ability to restrict South Africa to a modest 115/7 and their spirited chase in the second innings. “It shows that we belong here,” Paudel said at the post-match press conference. “This will give us a lot of confidence for the next match against Bangladesh.” Nepal’s impressive showing drew praise from cricketing pundits. Dale Steyn, the South African legend, dubbed the match the “Match of the Tournament.” “If Nepal had crossed the line, it would have been the talk of the tournament,” Steyn said. “It would have been fantastic, and they deserved to win.” While Nepal’s final group match against Bangladesh is a dead rubber, they can still impact the Tigers’ qualification chances. The Nepal-Bangladesh match will take place on June 16 in St. Vincent.
Nepal’s Paudel: ‘We Belong Here’ After South Africa Near Miss Nepal’s head coach Dave Whatmore has praised his team’s performance against South Africa, despite their narrow defeat in the Twenty20 World Cup. Nepal lost by just four runs to the Proteas, who are ranked 11th in the world, and Whatmore believes his team can take great confidence from the match. “We showed that we can compete with the best teams in the world,” said Whatmore. “We were unlucky not to win, but we showed that we belong here.” Nepal’s captain Paras Khadka echoed Whatmore’s sentiments, saying that his team had proven that they could mix it with the big boys. “We showed that we can compete against the best in the world,” said Khadka. “We played with a lot of heart and determination, and we were unlucky not to come away with the win.” Nepal’s next match is against the United Arab Emirates on Monday, and they will need to win to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. “We need to take the positives from this performance and build on them for the rest of the tournament,” said Whatmore. “We believe that we can still reach the semi-finals, and we will be doing everything we can to make that happen.”
