Kathmandu, April 6: Nepal U-19 have been given a target of 169 runs by Afghanistan U-19 in their second practice match ahead of the Asian qualifiers for the U-19 Men’s World Cup. The match is being played at the Mulpani Cricket Ground.

Afghanistan U-19, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, were bowled out for 168 runs in 50 overs.

Top Performers – Afghanistan U-19:

• Captain Mahboob Khan led the scoring with 58 runs off 114 balls (1 four).
• Rohulla Arab added 27 runs.
• Other notable contributions:
  • Uzairullah Niazai – 19 runs
  • Najifullah Amiri – 16 runs
  • Khatir Stanikzail – 11 runs

Several Afghan batsmen, including Faizal Khan Sinozada and Barkhat Ibrahimzai, were dismissed for ducks.

Nepal U-19 Bowling Highlights:

• Santosh Yadav – 3 wickets
• Chivarin Shrestha and Bipin Sharma – 2 wickets each
• Abhishek Tiwari and Aparajat Poudel – 1 wicket each

This match is part of the warm-up series ahead of the Asia Qualifiers, which Nepal is hosting. In their previous warm-up game, Nepal lost to Afghanistan by 130 runs.

The third practice match between the two sides is scheduled for next Wednesday.

Teams Participating in Asia Qualifiers:

• Nepal
• Afghanistan
• UAE
• Hong Kong
• Oman

The tournament will determine the Asian team(s) qualifying for the U-19 Men’s World Cup.