Nepal Put Bahrain Under Pressure in ACC Premier Cup Opener

Nepal have made an encouraging start to their ACC Men’s Premier Cup campaign against Bahrain in Bangi, Malaysia, with the hosts struggling at 37-3 after 11 overs.

Nepal captain Sandeep Lamichhane won the toss and elected to bowl first at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval.

Karan KC has led Nepal’s early attack, taking two wickets, while Lalit Rajbanshi has claimed one. Bahrain’s Asif Ali was dismissed for four, Fiaz Ahmed fell for 15 and wicketkeeper Prashant Kurup was out for nine.

At 11 overs, Ahmer Bin Nasir and Muhammad Wasim were at the crease for Bahrain.

The match is Nepal’s opening fixture of the tournament. Nepal are the defending champions of the 50-over ACC Premier Cup, having won the 2023 edition on home soil.

The 2026 tournament is being played in Malaysia from 30 August to 12 September, with Nepal among 10 teams competing for the title and a place in the 2027 Asia Cup.

Nepal entered the tournament after a difficult World Cup League 2 campaign in the Netherlands, where they lost all four matches. Bahrain, meanwhile, recently competed in the Cricket World Cup Challenge League Group B in Tanzania.

With Nepal already taking three wickets, the opening match has begun to swing in their favour, but Bahrain still have plenty of overs to rebuild their innings.