Nepal put up a challenging total of 180-7 in their 20 overs against Hobart Hurricanes Academy in the 18th match of the Top End T20 series at Cazalys Arena, Palmerston. Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Nepal’s innings had its share of starts and stops, with contributions across the batting order.

Kushal Bhurtel got the innings going with a brisk 27 off 20 balls, striking four boundaries before falling to Marcus Bean. Aasif Sheikh followed with 29 off 28 deliveries, but his dismissal by Nivethan Radhakrishnan at 77-2 slowed the momentum. Bhim Sharki added 18 runs, and captain Rohit Paudel was dismissed for 9 as Nepal’s top order struggled to accelerate consistently.

Aarif Sheikh was the standout for Nepal, scoring 33 off 26 balls, and together with lower-order hitters Lokesh Bam, who remained unbeaten on 25 off just 11 balls, ensured Nepal crossed the 180-run mark.

For Hobart Hurricanes Academy, Radhakrishnan was the pick of the bowlers with 2-20 in his four overs. Raf MacMillan also claimed two wickets for 43 runs, while Marcus Bean, Bradley Hope, and Gabe Bell took one wicket each, providing some breakthroughs at crucial intervals.

The Nepali men’s senior team was handed their third straight defeat in the series in Darwin, Australia, on Monday, as they went down to Melbourne Stars Academy by 31 runs while chasing 176 runs at TIO Stadium.