Cricket
T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Paudel says Nepal belong at the big stage after narrow defeat vs South Africa
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Skipper Rohit Paudel was proud of his men after Nepal ran South Africa close in their T20 World Cup clash on Saturday, June 15 at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent. However, Nepal lost the match by 1 run and crashed out of the tournament, also losing the chance to beat a Test-playing nation for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Having lost 2 out of 3 games with one of them being washed out, Nepal are currently placed fourth in the points table with a net run rate of -0.293. Paudel said that Nepal will try and carry confidence into their last and final group match against Najmul Hossain Shanto’s Bangladesh on Sunday, June 16 in St. Vincent.
South Africa vs Nepal, T20 World Cup Highlights
“I feel like the way we played today; it shows that we belong here. And the way we bowled, I think, and the way we batted also, I think we belong here. And this will give good confidence to us for the next game against Bangladesh,” Paudel added.
‘T20 is a fast game’
Chasing 116, Nepal were cruising after Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah put on 50 runs for the third wicket. But then they lost wickets in heaps and lost their way. With 8 runs needed off the last over, Gulshan Jha failed to take his team past the finish line. With 2 required off the last ball, Jha tried to run a bye, but got run out at the non-striker’s end.
“I didn’t feel anything. I was just there in the moment. Everyone was excited, two runs were needed in two balls. T20 is a fast game. The game shifts with two good balls or even a boundary. So, I think being present is essential, especially in T20, because the momentum shifts a lot. So that’s all there is to it, nothing more than that,” Paudel added.
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