Following a disruptive 48 hours marked by a 10-wicket defeat against Scotland, the abrupt departure of their coach, and a storm of social media activity, the USA finally had something to celebrate with a thrilling last-over victory against Nepal. Chasing a target of 287, Shayan Jahangir shone brightly, scoring 104 off 97 balls in a substantial 161-run partnership with Monank Patel, who contributed 62 runs off 76 deliveries.
The USA appeared to be on course for victory when they faced a sudden collapse, plummeting from 179 for 2 to 197 for 6 due to Kushal Bhurtel’s part-time leg spin. However, Harmeet Singh’s explosive innings of 57 off 44 balls resurrected their innings, as he and Shadley Van Schalkwyk forged a crucial 71-run partnership for the seventh wicket, with Shadley finishing not out with a composed 29 off 37.
Ultimately, the task fell to Shadley and Jasdeep Singh to secure the win after Harmeet’s dismissal in the 48th over. Needing 16 runs from the final 11 balls, Jasdeep eased the pressure by sending Sandeep Lamichhane’s delivery soaring over deep square leg. Shadley then clinched the victory with a powerful six down the ground in a decisive win for the USA.
The USA saw immediate benefits from promoting Shayan to the opening position, allowing in-form Sanjay Krishnamurthy to join the eleven by replacing Sushant Modani. Nepal’s Sompal Kami struck early, trapping Andries Gous LBW in the second over. Despite this setback, Shayan aggressively took control during the powerplay, striking seven boundaries around the field.
Shayan’s dynamic approach was a sharp contrast to Monank’s more cautious innings, as Monank attempted to regain his form after a rough patch. He played a beautiful straight drive for his first ball but then chose a more conservative approach. Shayan quickly dismissed the threat posed by Sandeep by aggressively targeting him early on, clearing the boundary with two sixes in his first two overs.
Monank responded positively with boundaries once Gulsan Jha came into the attack. Following suit, Shayan attacked Jha as well, hitting him for two sixes, one a powerful drive over deep extra cover and the other a towering pull shot. Nepal’s Lalit Rajbanshi eventually got the better of Monank after several close LBW appeals, but not before Monank secured a crucial half-century, putting the USA in a strong position. Shayan then raced to his second ODI century with some quick scoring as he approached the 100-mark.
With Sandeep ineffective, Nepal turned to Bhurtel, whose introduction seemed to enliven the pitch as he deceived Shayan into a catch at deep square leg. Bhurtel’s occasional sharp turn instilled doubt in the batsmen, grabbing two wickets in consecutive deliveries in the 34th over. Milind Kumar was caught at mid-wicket, while Krishnamurthy was bowled by a well-disguised wrong’un. Bhurtel then forced an edge from Teja Mukkamalla the following over, putting Nepal in a seemingly victorious position.
Nepal’s captain Rohit Paudel ended Bhurtel’s spell after six overs, opting for offspin against the two left-handers Harmeet and Shadley. The offspinners, however, lacked the potency of Bhurtel, allowing Harmeet to take advantage by hitting boundaries off both Dipendra Singh Airee and Paudel, boosting USA’s chances. Harmeet, known for his explosive performances in T20Is, demonstrated commendable composure in this longer format.
He reached his first ODI fifty in just 35 balls, yet his subdued celebration reflected a focus on the bigger picture. Karan KC soon dashed Harmeet’s hopes of carrying USA to victory when he dismissed him after Harmeet had hit a six off the previous delivery.
Earlier, Nepal’s openers Aasif Sheikh and Anil Sah set a solid foundation, putting together a 98-run partnership as USA’s fast bowlers struggled with the new ball. Aasif brought up his 13th half-century with a neat leg glance, scoring at a rate just over a run-a-ball. However, following his half-century, he fell victim to Jasdeep’s catch behind after chasing a wide delivery. The left-arm spinners of the USA then tightened the screws on the scoring. Sah also exited soon after reaching his 50, falling to a full toss that caught the bat’s toe.
A moment of brilliance from Shadley ended Bhurtel’s struggles, catching him off a Kenjige delivery that turned slightly. Bhurtel departed for 11 runs off 28 balls. Aarif Sheikh and Paudel then stabilized the innings with a 56-run stand, each finding their rhythm. Aarif signaled his intent with an explosive uppercut off Jasdeep that sailed over third man. Kenjige later returned to deceive Aarif, who skied a sweep shot into the hands of deep square leg.
By this time, Paudel, who had earlier been slow off the mark with just 13 runs from 25 balls, began to accelerate, displaying an array of reverse scoops and sweeps to speed up Nepal’s scoring. Kenjige dismissed the vigorous Airee in the 43rd over and Shadley followed suit with Jha’s wicket in the next over, disrupting Nepal’s push toward 280. Despite USA’s efforts, Paudel’s fireworks propelled Nepal to an impressive finish, scoring 48 runs in the final four overs, with 37 of those from Paudel himself. He unleashed a 21-run over against Netravalkar, nearing his second ODI century but fell just shy, missing a scoop on the final ball. Paudel’s commendable innings was unfortunately overshadowed by some less-than-ideal fielding tactics later in the match.
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