Muhammad Shahdad’s 96 guides UAE to four-wicket win over Nepal in Dubai**

The match which pitted United Arab Emirates against Nepal in the 90th fixture of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 unfolded on a crisp November day at the ICC Academy in Dubai. It turned into a tense chase that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Nepal, batting first after losing the toss, set a competitive total of 239 for 9 in their 50 overs, thanks to a gritty middle-order effort that mixed caution with bursts of aggression. UAE, electing to field, responded with a composed yet dramatic pursuit, reaching the target in 49.1 overs for the loss of just six wickets, securing a four-wicket victory with five balls to spare.

Nepal’s Innings

Nepal’s innings began under clear skies, with the Powerplay 1 restrictions in place from overs 0.1 to 10.0. Openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh, the wicketkeeper-batter, walked out to a modest crowd, knowing a solid start could pressure the UAE bowlers on this batsman-friendly pitch. Bhurtel, usually a dasher, played it safe, facing just four balls for a single before Zahid Ali, the experienced UAE pacer, struck in the 1.5 over. A sharp inswinger caught the edge, and the keeper pouched it easily, with Nepal at 4 for 1.

Aasif Sheikh, promoted to open, steadied the ship alongside Bhim Sharki, who joined at number three. By the end of the Powerplay, Nepal had crawled to 41 for 1, with Sheikh unbeaten on 18 off 24 and Sharki adding 14 off 18. The transition to Powerplay 2, from 10.1 to 40.0, brought a sigh of relief as fielders scattered, allowing more freedom. Sheikh and Sharki cashed in, knitting a 74-run stand for the second wicket that lasted until the 17.4 over. Sheikh, with his watchful eye, picked singles and twos, reaching 34 off 48 at 70.83 strike rate, while Sharki unleashed a tad more flair, smashing 48 off 68 balls with 4 fours and 1 six. Their partnership hit 50 runs in 65 balls, extras chipping in with 5 wides and leg-byes, pushing Nepal to 78 for 1 by drinks at the 14th over.

ICC CWC League 2, 2023-27 – Match 91, ICC Academy Dubai: Nepal set UAE a 240-run target.
Score – Nepal: 239/9, 50 overs (Bhim Sharki 48, Kushal Malla 45; Dhruv Parashar 2-28, Junaid Siddique 2-36)
More details: https://t.co/fEZ4MS9iX5 pic.twitter.com/ged6WMsjpC

— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) November 5, 2025

The drinks break seemed to recharge UAE’s attack. Captain Rohit Paudel entered at four, but the momentum dipped when Sheikh was run out in a mix-up at 17.4. Parashar, the UAE off-spinner, threw down the stumps after a hesitant call, and keeper Sharma whipped off the bails. Nepal slipped to 78 for 2, and Paudel, the skipper, looked to anchor. But UAE’s Dhruv Parashar, spinning a web of accuracy, dismissed Paudel cheaply in the 20.6 over. At 87 for 3, the pressure mounted. Sharki, now the sheet anchor, fought valiantly, adding 9 more runs before Parashar struck again in 22.2, snaring him for 48 off 68. Nepal tottered at 94 for 4, with just 150 balls bowled and the required rate creeping up.

Aarif Sheikh, batting at five, arrived with a reputation for cool heads in crises. Alongside Dipendra Singh Airee at six, they rebuilt patiently. The second drinks at 31 overs saw Nepal at 137 for 4 (Aarif on 7 off 12, Airee on 34 off 30). Their stand swelled to 49 runs, pushing the score past 100 in the 24.6 over. Airee, the all-rounder, injected urgency, his 37 off 43 at 86.04 strike rate featuring crisp drives and a pulled four. Nepal crossed 150 in the 34.1 over, extras now at 10, including 16 wides scattered throughout. Aarif, methodically, reached 30 off 54, but the Powerplay 3 loomed, promising attacking fields but also risks.

Tragedy struck in the 32.5 over when Airee was run out for 37, a direct hit from Muhammad Waseem via keeper Sharma leaving Nepal at 143 for 5. Kushal Malla, the hard-hitting seven, joined Aarif, and together they added 44 crucial runs. Malla, explosive yet controlled, faced 51 balls for 45, including 1 four and 5 sixes. His boundaries lit up the ground. a lofted cover drive off Junaid Siddique and a massive six over midwicket against Muhammad Jawadullah. By the 40th over, Nepal eyed 200, but Aarif fell in 42.5, caught behind off Siddique for 30 off 54 (55.55 SR), making it 187 for 6.

Karan KC, the pacer, followed immediately, nicking Siddique to Sharma for a golden duck in 42.6. Nandan Yadav at nine scratched 1 off 9 before Jawadullah, the UAE seamer, castled him in 45.5 for 193 for 8. Malla and Sandeep Lamichhane, the leg-spinner at ten, then mounted a rescue. Lamichhane, not out on 15 off 10 (150 SR), flicked a couple of boundaries, while Malla cleared the ropes once more. They added 42 off 26 balls, Nepal surging to 200 in the 46.4 over. But Jawadullah returned in the 49.5 over, bowling Malla for 45, leaving Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi to scamper 4 more. Rajbanshi, not out on 4 off 1, faced just one ball. Nepal ended at 239 for 9, run rate 4.78.

UAE’s Innings

Now, shifting to UAE’s riposte, the chase of 240 in 50 overs demanded precision from the get-go, especially with Nepal’s spinners lurking. Captain Alishan Sharafu, opening alongside keeper Aryansh Sharma, knew the Powerplay 1 (0.1-10.0) would be pivotal (fielders in, bowlers fresh). UAE raced to 42 for 2 by the end, but not without jitters. Sharma, facing just one ball, edged Karan KC to Aasif Sheikh in the 0.6 over (a duck that silenced the dugout early). Sharafu, undaunted, stroked 18 off 24 at 75.00 SR, including 2 fours, before Nandan Yadav’s left-arm spin trapped him.

ICC CWC League 2, 2023-27 – Match 91, ICC Academy Dubai: Muhammad Shahdad's brilliant 96 and Muhammad Waseem's 76 earn UAE a 4⃣ wicket win!
Score in brief:
Nepal: 239/9, 50 overs (Bhim Sharki 48, Kushal Malla 45; Dhruv Parashar 2-28, Junaid Siddique 2-36)
UAE: 243/6, 49.1 overs… pic.twitter.com/gjqck5dHhT

— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) November 5, 2025

Shahdad, the eventual Player of the Match, embodied calm aggression, facing 123 balls for a masterful 96 (12 fours and 3 sixes at 78.04 strike rate). His knock was the chase’s backbone, blending nudges for singles with punishing drives. Sohaib Khan joined him, and their 40-run third-wicket stand stabilized things. By drinks at 19 overs, UAE were 65 for 2 (Shahdad on 16 off 28, Khan on 27 off 49). Nepal’s Karan KC, opening the bowling, troubled with 10-0-58-3 (5.80), his bouncers extracting edges. Nepal crossed 50 in 14.4 overs, but Khan’s vigil ended in 20.2, lbw to Lalit Rajbanshi’s left-arm spin for 29 off 52 (55.76 SR). UAE at 68 for 3, required rate ticking to 5.00.

Enter Muhammad Waseem at five, the dasher with a point to prove. His partnership with Shahdad blossomed into a match-defining 147-run stand for the fourth wicket, the highest of the innings. Waseem, explosive from ball one, reached 50 off 56 (4×4, 1×6) by the 36th over, while Shahdad notched his half-century off 79 balls (3×4, 1×6). Their 50-run alliance came in 54 balls, the 100 in 108. UAE hit 100 in 27.1 overs (163 balls), then 150 in 35.4 (214 balls). Drinks at 36 overs. 154 for 3, Shahdad 59 off 92, Waseem 44 off 58. Nepal rotated wisely (Karan’s pace, Yadav’s spin (9-0-50-1, 5.55), Rajbanshi’s control (10-1-48-1, 4.80), and Lamichhane’s guile (10-2-35-1, 3.50)).

Powerplay 2 (10.1-40.0) yielded 144 runs for 1 wicket, a purple patch. But Lamichhane, the leg-spinner, broke through in 43.4, bowling Waseem for 76 off 73 (7×4, 3×6, 104.10 SR). UAE at 215 for 4, needing 25 off 39 balls. Shahdad, eyes on a ton, kept grinding. Harshit Kaushik at seven added 13 off 17 (76.47 SR) with a flicked four, but Karan KC returned to claim him caught behind in 48.5. Shahdad, on 96, eyed glory but holed out to Aasif off Karan in 46.6.

🚨Nepal showing remarkable commitment to one thing — losing in style. 🇳🇵🇦🇪

UAE beats them by 4 wickets, handing Nepal their fourth straight defeat in the ICC CWC League 2.🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/26oKYEIfL4

— ICC Asia Cricket (@ICCAsiaCricket) November 5, 2025

Dhruv Parashar, the all-rounder, walked in with nerves of ice. Not out on 23 off 6 (66.66 SR), he smashed a four and a two, while Zahid Ali, last man in, blocked a couple before flicking a single. Parashar sealed it in 49.1, driving Dipendra Singh Airee for the winning boundary (243 for 6, run rate 4.94). Extras. just 4 wides. Nepal’s fielding shone (Airee’s 6-0-24-0 tidy, Bhurtel’s part-time 10-1-20-1 (2.00), Malla’s 3.1-0-16-0 (5.09)).

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

Being the man who set the tone for UAE’s victory, Junaid Siddique delivered TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game with a spell of pure fire. The right-arm pacer struck in his very first over, trapping Nepal opener Kushal Bhurtel for just 2, caught behind by Sharma off a sharp edge.

That early breakthrough rattled Nepal, who never truly recovered. Junaid kept coming hard, bowling a full 10-over spell (10-0-36-2) with deadly accuracy, 60 dot balls, 3 fours against his name, and 6 wides showing his aggression. His second scalp was crucial. Aarif Sheikh, batting on 30, nicked one to the keeper in the 43rd over, leaving Nepal at 187/6. With pace, swing, and relentless pressure, Junaid broke the backbone of Nepal’s middle order. His figures (2/36) were the most economical among UAE’s attack, and both wickets came at pivotal moments.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

In the thrilling ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 clash between UAE and Nepal, Muhammad Shahdad stole the show and earned TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his match-defining 96 off 123 balls. Chasing 240, UAE stumbled early, slipping to 28 for 2 after losing openers Alishan Sharafu (18) and Aryansh Sharma (0). Shahdad walked in at No. 3 and calmly rebuilt. He stitched a massive 147-run stand with Muhammad Waseem (76), turning the game on its head.

🇦🇪take win by 4 wickets #NepalCricket pic.twitter.com/ntMnPpbdMF

— CAN (@CricketNep) November 5, 2025

With 12 crisp fours and 3 towering sixes, Shahdad batted at a strike rate of 78.04, mixing solid defence against Lamichhane and Rajbanshi with fearless pulls off Karan KC. His fifty came in 79 balls. From there he exploded, racing to 96 and leaving UAE needing just 25 when he was caught behind off KC in the 47th over. Though he missed a century by four runs, Shahdad’s knock powered UAE to 243 for 6 in 49.1 overs, sealing a 4-wicket win.