Nepal launch U-19 Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier with victory

Nepal kick-off their campaign with a win

Nepal have begun their U-19 Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier campaign with a victory, defeating Malaysia by six wickets in their opening match in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Invited to bat first, Malaysia posted a total of 64/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Skipper Ainna Hamizah Hashim top-scored for the side with 22 runs off 33 balls, while extras contributed 18 runs to the total.

In reply, Nepal chased down the target in 14.3 overs, losing four wickets in the process. Openers Kritika Marasini and Anjali Bishowkarma provided a solid start, putting on 24 runs for the first wicket. Skipper Ashwini Kumari then played a crucial knock of 20 runs off 22 balls to guide her team to victory.

Malaysia's bowlers tried to keep things tight, but the Nepali batters were up to the task, finding boundaries at regular intervals. Sangita Rai remained unbeaten on 10 runs off 12 balls to see her team over the line.

For Malaysia, wicket-keeper batter Najihah Hanis Abd Halim claimed two wickets, while Ainna Hamizah Hashim and Umairah Anuar took one wicket each.

With this victory, Nepal have now secured two points in the tournament and will look to continue their winning run when they face Thailand in their next match on Wednesday.