Nepal Women delivered a clinical all-round performance to register a commanding eight-wicket win over Qatar Women in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup 2026 clash at Mantin. The contest was largely dictated by Nepal’s disciplined bowling attack before their batters comfortably chased down the modest target with more than nine overs to spare. The victory showcased Nepal Women’s growing strength in women’s T20 cricket, with standout contributions coming from Player of the Match Rubina Chhetry and a composed batting effort led by Bindu Rawal and Puja Mahato.
After being asked to bat, Qatar Women made a promising start through captain Gertrude Chandiru and Fatima Mukadam. The pair negotiated the opening overs cautiously before Nepal struck the first blow at 35 runs. Chandiru had looked threatening during her brisk 25 off 19 balls, striking two fours and a six while keeping the scoreboard moving. Her 35-run opening partnership with Mukadam provided Qatar with their best phase of the innings before Riya Sharma held on to a catch off Sita Rana Magar to remove the skipper in the sixth over.
The breakthrough triggered a steady collapse. Mukadam managed only 6 from 18 deliveries before becoming Kabita Kunwar’s lone victim, while Shrutiben Rana attempted to rebuild with a run-a-ball 9. Alongside Krisheta Sarvanakumar, she added 21 runs for the third wicket, helping Qatar reach 60/4 before Nepal tightened their grip. Belbashi produced a crucial spell, dismissing Shrutiben Rana and later trapping Krisheta Sarvanakumar’s innings of 8 from 17 balls. The fourth-wicket stand yielded 25 runs but failed to generate the momentum Qatar desperately needed.
Aysha contributed 10 runs and briefly partnered Shahreen Bahadur, but Nepal’s sharp fielding created further pressure. Shahreen was run out for 2, while Aysha also fell to a run-out after adding valuable runs in the middle overs. Qatar’s lower order struggled to rotate the strike as Nepal’s bowlers maintained excellent control. Roshni Sebastian departed without scoring, while Lihara Abeysekara was run out for a duck. Tafu Elkhair and Maria Jacob also failed to trouble the scorers as Qatar lost wickets at regular intervals. Khadija Imtiaz remained unbeaten on 2, but Qatar were eventually restricted to 76 all out in 16.5 overs.
Nepal’s bowling performance was built around accuracy and discipline. Rubina Chhetry produced a match-winning spell of 3 for 8 from 3.5 overs, dismantling the lower middle order and ensuring Qatar never recovered after the early wickets. Belbashi claimed 2 wickets while conceding only 15 runs, complementing Chhetry brilliantly. Kabita Kunwar, Riya Sharma and Sita Rana Magar chipped in with a wicket each, while Puja Mahato and Manisha Upadhayay maintained pressure through economical spells. Nepal’s fielding effort was equally impressive, contributing three run-outs that further restricted Qatar’s scoring opportunities.
Chasing 77 for victory, Nepal Women suffered an early setback when Samjhana Khadka was dismissed for 3. Shahreen Bahadur provided Qatar with the breakthrough as Maria Jacob completed the catch, leaving Nepal at 17/1 in the third over. However, that proved to be Qatar’s only major success for most of the chase.
Bindu Rawal and Puja Mahato then combined for the decisive partnership of the match. The pair added 41 runs for the second wicket, calmly absorbing any pressure while steadily moving Nepal closer to the target. Rawal played the more aggressive role, striking four boundaries during her well-compiled 33 off 30 balls. Her innings ensured Nepal remained comfortably ahead of the required rate before Khadija Imtiaz trapped her lbw at 58/2 in the ninth over.
With only 19 runs still needed, Puja Mahato continued her composed innings and found support from captain Indu Barma. The duo stitched together an unbroken 20-run third-wicket partnership to seal the result without any further drama. Mahato remained unbeaten on 28 from 26 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Barma finished on 6 not out from five deliveries. Nepal reached 78/2 in just 10.5 overs, completing the chase with 55 balls remaining.
Qatar’s bowlers struggled to contain Nepal’s confident batting lineup. Shahreen Bahadur was the pick of the attack with figures of 1 for 11 from three overs, while Khadija Imtiaz claimed the other wicket. Gertrude Chandiru, Roshni Sebastian, Lihara Abeysekara, Maria Jacob and Tafu Elkhair all bowled useful spells but could not prevent Nepal from dominating the chase.
This comprehensive victory strengthens Nepal Women’s campaign in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup 2026 and highlights their growing consistency in international women’s cricket. With Rubina Chhetry leading the bowling charge and the batting unit responding confidently through Bindu Rawal and Puja Mahato, Nepal Women showcased the complete performance required to emerge as one of the strongest contenders in the tournament.
Loves all things female cricket