Nepal Under-16 defeated Singapore Under-16 by six wickets in their first Group ‘A’ clash of the ACC Men’s U16 East Zone Cup 2025 at the YSD UKM Oval in Bangi, Malaysia, on Sunday.

Chasing a modest target of 139 runs, Nepal reached 139-4 in 33.3 overs, riding on an unbeaten half-century from Prashiddha Jaishi. Jaishi anchored the innings with a composed 55 runs off 97 balls, hitting five boundaries and stitching together crucial partnerships in the middle and lower order.

Nepal lost Shiwansh Bajgain for nine runs in the ninth over, after Suryanshu Koirala was retired hurt at nine runs. Raunak Srivastav then joined Jaishi at the crease and played a fluent knock of 40 off 44 balls, which included five fours and a six. The pair added 63 runs for the second wicket, which laid the foundation for Nepal’s chase.

However, Singapore fought back with quick wickets, removing Srivastav, Joy Thapa (4), and Sugam Budhathoki (0) in the span of five overs to reduce Nepal to 112-4.

But Jaishi, who had held one end solidly, found an able partner in Shubham Khanal, who contributed 9 runs off 20 balls. The duo put together an unbroken 27-run partnership to steer Nepal to victory comfortably.

Akash Teja was the pick of the bowlers for Singapore, taking three wickets for 36 runs in his 10 overs. Yuvaan Pandey claimed a wicket.

Earlier, Singapore were bowled out for 138 runs in 36.1 overs after electing to bat first with captain Riaan Naik and opener Aahan Vuthandam leading the scoring. Vuthandam struck a fluent 38 off 33 balls with seven boundaries, giving his side a brisk start in the powerplay.

He shared a 49-run partnership with Rohan Austin Arun before falling in the 11th over. Rohan, however, struggled for fluency, consuming 38 balls for his 11 runs before being dismissed.

Captain Riaan Naik stabilised the innings with a well-constructed 53 off 53 balls, hitting nine fours. He kept the scoreboard ticking even as wickets fell regularly at the other end. However, apart from Pranad Eshaan Meduri (12), none of the other batters could contribute significantly. A middle-order collapse saw Singapore lose four wickets for just 24 runs, slipping from 65-2 to 89-5, putting them under pressure.

Nepal’s bowlers maintained excellent discipline throughout, with Bipin Prasad Sharma taking 4-34 from his 10 overs and Sachin Bhatta picking up 3-18 in 6.1 overs. Shubham Khanal and Abhay Yadav chipped in with a wicket each, while a sharp run-out by Shiwansh Bajgain added to Singapore’s woes. The last three wickets fell for just six runs, ending Singapore’s innings at a below-par 138.

Their innings never gained momentum, with wickets falling at regular intervals. No batter managed to convert a start into a substantial score. The Nepali bowlers maintained tight lines and shared the wickets, ensuring Singapore could not build any long-lasting partnerships.

Ten teams are participating in the underage tournament hosted by Malaysia from June 22 to July 5.

Of the 10 teams divided into two groups of five, Nepal are in Group A alongside Singapore, Indonesia, Bhutan and Japan. Group B comprises Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Maldives and Myanmar.

The young Rhinos will now face Japan and Indonesia on June 24 and 29, respectively, while playing Bhutan on July 1. The two best teams from each group will enter the semi-finals, with the group topper facing the runner-up of the opposite group.