At the post-match presentation, Nepal’s captain, Rohit Paudel, shared the sentiments of the cricket community on his team’s relentless performance throughout the tournament. They were able to keep up with the favourites and didn’t let them get any closer till the very end. He recognised that, despite their defeat, they had come dangerously close to victory and applauded their excellent performance in pivotal times.
Rohit Paudel underlined that more exposure to and chances for associate nations like Nepal to fight against major sides will greatly improve their capacity to win crucial matches, like the one against South Africa.
The match completely exceeded expectations in what was expected to be a lopsided encounter between South Africa and Nepal before to the fixture. As they restricted the elite Proteas batting lineup to a manageable 115/7 in their 20 overs, Nepal’s hopes were raised. By the 12th over, they had lost the same number of wickets as South Africa (69/2) and had even outpaced their country’s run rate until the very last over, making their aspirations appear more and more realistic. They failed to chase down the final eight runs in the game’s final over, though, and the Proteas pulled off an incredible comeback triumph. It was a devastating blow to their ambitions.
Also read: Nepal put a lot of pressure on us, demonstrating their quality. Aiden Markram
“The manner we batted and bowled, in particular, makes me extremely proud of the team. Though a little distant, we were rather close. We performed well under pressure, but we had excellent fighting technique. At the post-match presentation, Rohit Paudel said, “We’ll be on the other side [of the result] if we receive greater exposure more often.
You must extend them a great deal of gratitude: Aiden Markram
Nepal’s bowling unit received high appreciation from winning captain Aiden Markram. While acknowledging the depth and skill of their team, he pointed out that South Africa was in a vulnerable position at the midway stage due to a lack of conviction, a decline in energy, and a lack of proactiveness.
“I believe it’s twofold: one, we had an extremely difficult game due to [Nepal’s] bowling style. They deserve so much recognition. They put a lot of pressure on us, which speaks volumes about the calibre of their locker room. That’s what occurred tonight, Markram continued. “You can get stuck if you combine that with maybe not enough conviction in our plans and a slight lack of intensity.”
Spinners Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee combined to take seven wickets for just forty runs in eight overs, setting the stage for Nepal’s incredible performance. Only Tristan Stubbs was able to score more than a run-a-ball because of how accurate and economical the bowlers from Nepal were.
India
