Kathmandu, October 5.
Kuala Lumpur, — The Nepal national women’s cricket team suffered a 13-run defeat against Malaysia in the third match of the five-match T20 International series, held at the Bayumas Oval Stadium. With this loss, Nepal now trails the series 1–2 and must win both of the remaining matches to secure the series.
Promising Start, But Middle-Order Collapse Proves Costly
Chasing a modest target of 121 runs, Nepal managed to score only 107 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs. The match began on a strong note for Nepal, with openers Samjhana Khadka and Rubina Chhetry (Ruby Poddar) putting up a solid 41-run partnership for the first wicket.
Samjhana was dismissed for 18 runs, while Rubina top-scored for Nepal with a patient 31 runs off 37 balls. After the opening stand, however, Nepal’s batting momentum slowed significantly.
Kavita Kunwar chipped in with 15 runs, and captain Indu Barma added 22 runs, but none of the other batters managed to reach double digits.
Poor Coordination and Run-Outs Hurt Nepal
Nepal was in a relatively strong position at 64/3, but the middle order collapsed under pressure. Lack of communication and poor running between the wickets were evident throughout the innings, as six Nepalese batters, including three top-order players, were run out—a costly error at the international level.
Malaysia’s bowlers did well to maintain pressure, with Nur Dania and Aisya Ilyssa claiming one wicket each, but it was Nepal’s own batting errors that turned the tide of the match.
Malaysia’s Steady Batting Anchored by Aina Hamizah
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, Malaysia posted 120 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Opening batter Aina Hamizah led the charge with a composed 61 off 58 balls, including 2 boundaries.
She was well supported by Mas Ilysa, who scored 30 runs, and Wan Julia, who added 16.
Nepal’s bowling attack, led by Kavita Kunwar and Kavita Joshi, kept the Malaysian score in check. Both bowlers took 2 wickets each, showing consistency throughout their spells.
Nepal Under Pressure to Win Remaining Matches
Nepal had earlier lost the first match of the series by 3 runs, but bounced back strongly in the second T20I with a 6-wicket victory. With this latest defeat, Nepal now finds itself in a must-win situation for the remaining two matches to keep the series hopes alive.
Going forward, Nepal will need to focus on better coordination between batters, reduce unnecessary run-outs, and ensure that the middle order plays a more responsible role if they are to turn the series in their favor.
