CHENNAI, FEBRUARY 4, 2026 – In a dominant display of middle-order strength, the Nepali national cricket team secured a comprehensive 7-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, February 3. This victory came in Nepal’s first official warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, held under the floodlights at the iconic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
First Innings: UAE Recover to Set 146 Nepal won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that paid off early when pacer Karan KC dismissed UAE captain Muhammad Waseem for just 6 runs in the opening over. Nepal’s “Spin Wizard” Sandeep Lamichhane and vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee kept the pressure on, reducing the UAE to a precarious 66/5 by the 12th over.
However, a spirited 68-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Sohaib Khan (38)* and Harshit Kaushik (35) allowed the UAE to claw back into the game. The duo launched a late assault, scoring 65 runs in the final five overs to guide their team to a respectable total of 145/6. For Nepal, Karan KC (2/26) and Sandeep Lamichhane (2/24) were the pick of the bowlers.
The Chase: The Aarif-Dipendra Show Nepal’s chase began on a shaky note as openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh were dismissed cheaply for 8 runs each. When skipper Rohit Paudel was run out for 16, Nepal found themselves struggling at 45/3.
What followed was a batting masterclass. Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee stitched together a brilliant, unbeaten 103-run partnership that took the game away from the UAE.
Aarif Sheikh was in vintage form, smashing 61 off 37 balls*, including 8 fours and 2 sixes.
Dipendra Singh Airee complemented him perfectly, reaching his half-century on the penultimate ball of the match to finish 50 off 31 balls*.
Nepal chased down the target with ease, reaching 148/3 in just 17 overs—finishing the game with 18 balls to spare. Aarif sealed the victory in style with a boundary off Muhammad Arfan, sparking celebrations among the Nepali fans present in the stadium.
Looking Ahead This victory serves as a massive morale booster for Nepal as they fine-tune their combinations for the mega-event. Nepal will play their second and final warm-up match against Canada on February 5 at the same venue, before heading to Mumbai for their World Cup opener against England on February 8.