Nepal Crush Oman to Reach Asian Games Qualifier Final as Lokesh Bam Stars in Comfortable Chase

Nepal booked their place in the final of the Asian Games Men's T20I Qualifier 2026 with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Oman at the Singapore Cricket Club on Sunday. After a disciplined bowling display restricted Oman to just 94 runs, Lokesh Bam's unbeaten 44 guided Nepal to victory with 64 balls remaining.

Asked to chase a modest target of 95, Nepal came out with positive intent. Kushal Bhurtel provided a flying start, smashing 20 runs from only eight deliveries, including three boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 250. However, Oman struck back quickly through Sameer Othman, who dismissed both Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh (1) inside the second over to leave Nepal at 27 for 2.

Any hopes of an Omani comeback were quickly extinguished as captain Rohit Paudel and Lokesh Bam combined in a composed and unbeaten 68-run partnership for the third wicket. Bam took the attacking role, finishing on 44 not out from just 26 balls with seven fours and a six, while Paudel remained unbeaten on 21 off 20 deliveries. Their partnership ensured Nepal reached the target in only 9.2 overs without any further setbacks.

Earlier, Nepal's bowlers produced another impressive performance after winning the toss and electing to field. Oman struggled to build momentum throughout their innings and were eventually bowled out for 94. Sufyan Mehmood was the lone bright spot for Oman with 38 off 42 balls, while Zubair Al Balushi added a quick 22 from 14 deliveries. Apart from the pair, no batter managed to cross the 16-run mark as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

Karan KC led Nepal's bowling attack with figures of 3 for 20 from his four overs, removing both Omani openers along with Issa Al Balushi. Sandeep Lamichhane and Sompal Kami claimed two wickets each, returning figures of 2 for 19 and 2 for 26 respectively. Dipendra Singh Airee also played a crucial role with the ball, delivering an economical spell of 3 overs for just 8 runs.

The victory highlighted Nepal's dominance in all departments, with the bowlers setting the foundation before the batters completed the chase in emphatic fashion. Having secured back-to-back convincing performances in the tournament, Nepal now advance to the final where they will face Hong Kong for a place at the Asian Games.