Nepal secured a dramatic victory over Scotland in their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture in Dundee on Monday (June 2), clinching the result on the final delivery under extraordinary circumstances.
The scores were level, after Nepal, who were chasing 297 for a win, were 296-9 on the penultimate ball of the innings. Scotland believed they had taken the last wicket to force a Super Over after a run out, but a delayed wide call from the umpire turned the game in Nepal's favour.
On what was to be the last ball of the game, Mark Watt, the left-arm spinner, sent down a delivery from around the wicket, to Karan KC. The ball strayed down the leg side, and Karan, already advancing, attempted a flick but missed. Wicketkeeper Matthew Cross failed to collect the ball cleanly but managed to break the stumps as the non-striker, Rijan Dhakal, sprinted and dived in attempt to make his ground.
The Scotland players erupted in celebration, thinking they had tied the game. However, moments later, the umpire signalled a wide. Karan noticed the call and raised his bat, even as Scottish players, still unaware, had their arms up in celebration.
Karan KC the star for Nepal
“What a finish. It was all confusion. I don't think I even know what happened,” said the commentator during the broadcast, capturing the chaos of the final moment.
The crowd, which included a lot of Nepal supporters, ran onto the pitch as soon as they realised Nepal had won, and hailed Karan out of the field.
The match had reached that point largely due to Karan’s all-round performance. After Nepal opted to field first, he delivered a strong spell with the ball, taking 2 for 43. Despite that, Scotland posted 296-7, powered by opener Charlie Tear’s 80 and Finlay McCreath’s 55.
In response, Nepal’s chase began well but unravelled quickly, as they collapsed from 152-2 to 192-7. All-rounder Brandon McMullen played a major role in the slide, removing Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel, and Dipendra Singh Airee in quick succession.
Karan, batting at No.8, returned to the spotlight during the chase, first sharing a crucial 60-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Gulsan Jha, who contributed 42 off 30 deliveries, before finishing off the chase unbeaten on 65 from 41 balls, including three boundaries and four sixes.
The result marked Nepal’s highest successful run chase in ODI cricket. Despite the win, they remain seventh in the eight-team League 2 standings, while Scotland are in fourth position. The top four teams at the end of the league will advance to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will determine the qualification pathway for the 14-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027.
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