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Nepal end 12-year wait as Airee sinks Scotland

Published

3 weeks ago

2026/02/18

Priyan

Dipendra Singh Airee's 50* sealed the win for Nepal [Cricinfo]

Nepal ended a 12-year wait for a third T20 World Cup win, concluding their 2026 campaign with a riotously received victory over Scotland in Mumbai. Sompal Kami, the only man still around from their maiden appearance at the 2014 World T20, provided the inspiration with the ball before Dipendra Singh Airee skewered a valiant Scotland performance with an unbeaten 50 off 23 to seal a high-octane chase.

Not for nothing are Nepal known as the “Cardiac Kids”, and this game – on which nothing was riding other than national pride and bragging rights – swung heart-stoppingly from side to side throughout. Scotland made the early running with an opening stand of 80, Michael Jones in regal touch, but stumbled through the second half of the innings as Kami’s double-wicket intervention sparked a slow-motion collapse.

In reply, Nepal’s openers provided similar platform before they slipped from 74 for 0 to 98 for 3 on the back of Michael Leask’s three-for, to the dismay of another heavily Nepal-supporting crowd at the Wankhede. At the end of the 14th over, they needed 71 from 36 balls.

Enter Airee, the dynamic allrounder and one of the totems of Nepal’s recent successes. He struck four fours and three sixes alongside plenty of hard running – he only faced two dot balls – as the unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership with Gulsan Jha finally broke Scotland’s resolve. Jha finished unbeaten on 24 from 17 and hit the winning runs, as Nepal gained a measure of absolution for near-misses against Bangladesh, South Africa and England over the last two World Cups.

Despite a stuttering finish with the bat, Scotland’s defence started well, conceding just one boundary – a muscled six over midwicket from Kushal Bhurtel – in the first 23 balls. Brad Currie put down a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Bhurtel and Brad Wheal thought he had the opener edging behind, only for a review to confirm that the ball had flicked the leg bail (which didn’t move) on its way through.

Aasif Sheikh then hoisted Wheal for the second six of the innings, and that was the trigger for Bhurtel to pile into Mark Watt, as Scotland’s most-experienced spinner endured another off night. With Watt trying to fire the ball into the pads, Bhurtel took him for 4-6-6 – swept, slog-swept and pounded over long-on – to the shorter boundary. A top-edged sweep from Aasif also had enough to clear the man at deep backward square leg, as 23 runs came off the over. Nepal rode the momentum to finish the powerplay on top, 56 without loss.

Oliver Davidson helped rein in the scoring with two overs that cost just nine, but it was the introduction of Leask, the 35-year-old veteran of five T20 World Cups, that brought Scotland back into the contest. His first ball broke the opening stand, as Bhurtel scuffed a top edge to midwicket where Tom Bruce took a good running catch.

Leask’s vein-popping roar of celebration was on show again in his second over, as Aasif skied to point, and he then bagged Nepal’s captain, Rohit Paudel, off another top-edged sweep to send doubt rippling through the support in the stands. Leask had figures of 3 for 10 from three overs and seemed to be single-handedly turning the game again. Nepal were 100 for 3, with the asking rate up to almost 12 an over.

Jha hit the first boundary of the partnership, clubbing Davidson’s final ball over long-on, then Airee took down the previously indomitable Leask. The first two balls of the 16th over were clobbered for six – making it three in a row overall – and Airee then found the gap at wide long-on to make it 20 from the over and reignite the passionate Nepali following. Currie was drilled through cover and slashed to third and then, after Wheal had conceded three runs from the first four balls of the 18th – making the requirement 25 off 14 – Airee went six and four to swing the pendulum once again. When Jha launched the next ball, from Currie, for six over extra cover, it was nine from 11 and the crowd officially had licence to go bananas. So they did.

Having inserted Scotland on a patchy, used surface, Paudel would have been hoping for his spinners to finally have an impact. But there was little assistance in the opening exchanges, and while George Munsey was the first to find the boundary, it was Jones who set the tempo at the top for Scotland.

A driven four was followed by six launched over long-off in the third over, with Nandan Yadav then picked off for back-to-back fours. Two more off-side boundaries followed in Kami’s second over and when Munsey muscled Airee down the ground Scotland had raised their 50 from just 32 balls.

They were 52 without loss at the end of the powerplay and the openers pressed on, despite Munsey’s struggle for timing. Sandeep Lamichhane’s difficult tournament continued when Jones cracked his first ball for six, but Paudel finally got the job done himself, tempting Munsey into a toe-ended swipe down to long-off for a much-needed breakthrough.

Jones was involved in another sprightly fifty stand alongside Brandon McMullen, who smashed his fifth ball, from Lamichhane, for six as Scotland looked to press home their good start. After 15 overs, they were 131 for 1 with two established batters at the crease. By the end of the 16th, the score was 134 for 3, with both Jones and McMullen back in the hutch.

Kami was the spark Nepal so desperately needed. First he deceived Jones with a perfectly executed knuckleball that dipped and deceived the batter in flight to peg back leg stump; two balls later he had removed McMullen with an outrageous reaction grab in his follow through, another slower ball inducing a leading edge that he plucked one-handed above his head. A third wicket came in his final over, Bruce flummoxed by a back-of-the-hander. Kami’s Buddha pose in celebration made him the calm amidst the storm of Nepal’s fightback.

With Nandan also finishing well to claim 2 for 34, it meant Scotland had lost 6 for 30 in the space of 27 balls. Watt defiantly smacked the last delivery for six but they couldn’t compete with Nepal’s surge.

Brief scores:
Nepal 171 for 3 in 19.2 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 50*, Kushal Bhurtel 43, Aasif Sheikh 33, Rohit Paudel 16, Ghulsan Jar 24*; Michael Leask 3-30) beat Scotland 170 for 7 in 20 overs (George Munsey 27, Michael Jones 71,Bramdon McMullen 25, Richie Berrington 10, Mark Watt 10*; Sompal Kami 3-25, Nandan Yadav 2-34, Rohit Paudel 1-12. Kushal Nhurtel 1-37) by seven wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Heat Index at ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala and Mannar districts

Published

9 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 11 March 2026, valid for 12 March 2026.

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at
some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala and Mannar districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well.

For further clarifications please contact 011-744649

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Nahid Rana and Tanzid Hasan complete Pakistan’s demolition in opening ODI

Published

17 hours ago

2026/03/11

Priyan

Nahid Rana walks back with his best figures in ODIs (Cricinfo)

Bangladesh quick Nahid Rana’s maiden five-wicket haul sent Pakistan tumbling to an eight-wicket defeat in the first ODI in Mirpur. Bangladesh completed the 115-run chase in 15.1 overs after they bowled out the visitors for 114. This was’s Bangladesh’s biggest win by wickets and balls remaining against Pakistan.

Tanzid Hasan struck seven fours and five sixes in his unbeaten 42-ball 67, while Najmul Hossain Shanto made 27 with five fours. The pair added 82 runs for the second wicket, as this became the shortest ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in terms of total overs bowled.

It was all due to Rana, who had a huge influence in the game in his spell of seven overs. He picked up a wicket in each of his first five overs, as Pakistan sunk rapidly against Rana’s pace and bounce, reminiscent of the last time they came across the fast bowler. Rana had taken four wickets in the Rawalpindi Test in 2024.

In Mirpur, Pakistan had played four debutants, their most since 2008 in ODIs. Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, among those newbies, added 41 runs for the opening stand before Rana removed Farhan in the tenth over. Farhan made 27 off 38 balls, before hitting a length ball to Afif Hossain at point.

Shamyl Hussain was the next to go, top-edging a Rana bouncer which Litton Das pouched safely. Shamyl was dropped on two at long-off in the previous over, but couldn’t make the chance count. When Sadaqat fell to yet another short ball, Pakistan slipped from 41 for 0 to 55 for three in the 14th over.

There was some hope when the experienced pair Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha got together. Rizwan even struck Rana for a superb boundary, before Rana sucked him into a drive and had him caught behind. Salman’s fall next was emblematic of Pakistan’s dismissals on the day – fending a short ball to short leg, where Tanzid completed a juggling catch.

Rana kept pounding in with thunderbolts for two more overs, creating couple of chances, and also bowling a 148.6kph delivery at Faheem Ashraf.

Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz then took three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman took one each, as Pakistan were shot out in the 31st over. Faheem top scored with 37, adding 32 runs for the tenth wicket with Abrar Ahmed.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem began Pakistan’s defence in a wayward manner, conceding five wides in the first two overs before the former dismissed Saif Hassan. Despite the early wicket, Tanzid and Shanto went after the Pakistan bowling, with both the left-handers finding boundaries regularly. Tanzid hit Faheem for two fours in the second over, before Shanto opened his account off his second ball with a crashing drive off Afridi.

Tanzid then struck Mohammad Wasim for a six and four in the sixth over, followed by Shanto hammering Afridi for three fours in the seventh over. Tanzid continued the big-hitting in the next over, going after Abrar Ahmed for two sixes, before Shanto got an edged boundary off Afridi.

Bangladesh were 81 for one after ten overs, their second highest score after the first powerplay in ODIs against Pakistan.

Tanzid struck two more sixes off Abrar and Agha, while reaching his fifty off 32 balls. Shanto then edged Wasim to the wicketkeeper, but that wicket was a mere consolation for Pakistan, who had been thorougly outplayed.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh 115 for 2 in 15.1 overs (Tanzid Hasan 67*, Najmul Hosain Shanto 27) beat Pakistan 114 in 30.4 Overs (Faheem Ashraf 37, Shahibzada Farhan 27; Nahid Rana 5-24, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 3-29) by 8 wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Australia grants asylum to 2 more members of Iranian women’s football team

Published

1 day ago

2026/03/11

Priyan

Iranian players react from the bench during the Women's Asia Cup football match between Iran and South Korea on the Gold Coast, Australia, on March 2, 2026 (Aljazeera)

Australia ⁠has confirmed that two more members of the Iranian women’s football team have received humanitarian visas, after five players were earlier granted asylum over concerns for their safety should they return to Iran, following the team failing to simg their national anthem before a recent match.

A player and a member of the team’s support staff decided ⁠to stay ⁠in Australia after seeking asylum, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke told reporters on Wednesday.

The pair has now joined five other team members granted humanitarian visas on Tuesday, Burke told reporters.

He said the pair sought asylum before the team departed the country late on Tuesday night, adding that all the women were taken aside individually by Australian officials and interpreters, without Iranian minders present, and offered asylum as they passed through security at Sydney airport.

“They were given a choice,” said Burke, who later posted images of the players on social media.

“In that situation, what we made sure of was that there was no rushing, there was no pressure,” he said.

Burke also said that some people linked to the team were not offered asylum, without providing details. One member of the delegation delayed boarding the departing flight from Sydney while they contacted family members and deliberated about staying in Australia, Burke said.The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

“We weren’t sure which way that person would go,” he said. “That individual ultimately made their own decision.”

The seven team members who had requested asylum have received temporary humanitarian visas, which is a pathway to permanent residency in Australia, Burke said.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the visas offered to the team members are valid for 12 months and are similar to those granted to applicants from Ukraine, Palestine and Afghanistan.

The team’s departure from their hotel in Australia’s Gold Coast and arrival at the domestic airport in Sydney before their international departure took place amid protests, as Iranian Australians sought to prevent the women from leaving the country, citing fears for their safety in Iran.

Concerns about the players’ safety emerged after Iranian state television labelled the team “traitors” for refusing to sing the ⁠national anthem before their first Asia Cup match in Australia. The team later sang the anthem at other matches.

However, the office of ‌Iran’s ‌general prosecutor said on Tuesday that the remaining members of the team were invited home “with peace and confidence”, Iranian media reported.

“These loved ones are invited to return to their homeland with peace and confidence, and in addition to addressing the concerns of their families,” the general prosecutor’s office was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, also urged the players to “come home”.

“To Iran’s women’s football team: don’t worry – Iran awaits you with open arms,” Baghaei wrote on X on Tuesday.

The Iranian team joined the Women’s Asian Cup tournament in Australia, just as the US and ⁠Israel launched their war on Iran, killing the country’s ⁠supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and many senior officials.

At least 1,255 people have been killed in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its 12th day and has seen devastating air strikes on the capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as key infrastructure and civilian sites.

The high-profile offer of asylum to the football players also comes as the Australian government has moved to introduce legislation to ban people from certain countries traveling to Australia who authorities fear might overstay their visa due to the war in the Middle East.

According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.

The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.

“We know who this is aimed at by Labor – it’s aimed at the people of Iran, the people of Lebanon, the people of Qatar and the entire Middle East. It is clearly designed to be a Trump-like mass visa freeze,” said Greens Senator David Shoebridge, referring to the governing Australian Labor Party and US President Donald Trump, who has also banned people from certain countries from entering the US.

According to the ABC, the proposed law would allow the government to stop people from nominated countries entering Australia for up to six months, even if they already have a valid temporary visa.

The Australian Greens party said on Tuesday that the law was “clearly aimed at preventing people from Iran from seeking safety in Australia”.

(Aljazeera)