KUALA LUMPUR: Nepal's cricket team has qualified for the 2027 Men's Asia Cup, marking a significant achievement in their cricketing journey as they prepare to compete against formidable full-member nations such as India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

According to International Cricket Council, this will be Nepal's second appearance at the Asia Cup, with their debut in 2023 in Sri Lanka. The qualification was secured following a decisive victory in the ACC Men's Premier Cup Final against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur.

Opting to bat first, Nepal's innings was anchored by opener Aasif Sheikh, who scored 102 runs off 106 balls. Contributions from Rohit Paudel with 40 runs and Gulshan Jha with 52 runs helped Nepal reach a total of 313/9. Ibrar Ahmad was the standout bowler for UAE, taking four wickets for 62 runs.

In response, the UAE team made a promising start with Tanish Suri scoring 42 runs off 28 deliveries. However, key breakthroughs by Nepal's Karan KC, who took three wickets for 49 runs, and Lalit Rajbanshi, who claimed two wickets for 43 runs, shifted the momentum. Despite Rahul Chopra's unbeaten century, UAE fell short by 44 runs.

Sandeep Lamichhane was named the Player of the Series for taking 17 wickets, while Aasif Sheikh earned the Player of the Match title for his outstanding innings.