KATHMANDU: Despite a strong start by the top order, hosts Nepal were bundled out for just 122 runs in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier against Thailand. Chasing a target of 123, Thailand reached the mark comfortably in 16.5 overs, losing only two wickets.

After the eight-wicket defeat, Nepal national women’s team captain Indu Barma repeatedly pointed to the same issue: the middle order failed to deliver. And she was right. Openers Bindu Rawal and Samjhana Khadka had added 52 runs before the end of the powerplay, raising hopes that Nepal would post a total of 150 or more.

However, the middle order collapsed. Indu herself failed to make an impact, while Puja Mahato and Rubina Chhetry Belbase also could not perform as expected. With Nepal unable to set a strong target, the team’s tournament campaign got off to a disappointing start. Still, despite the loss on the scoreboard, Indu did not see it as a personal failure. She expected not only improved performances from herself, Puja and Rubina against the Netherlands, but also a win.

In the match played on Thursday at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Rubina showed improvement with an unbeaten 37-run innings. But the rest of the batting lineup once again failed to cure the familiar problem. As a result, Nepal suffered a heartbreaking two-run defeat.

Puja Mahato and Kajal Shrestha celebrating after taking a wicket against the Netherlands. Photo: CAN.

“We had a good partnership at the end. We needed a similar partnership in the middle as well. But we lost too many wickets at the wrong time, and that became the reason for the defeat,” Rubina said after the match.

A consistently ‘flopping’ middle order

The target of 141 set by the Netherlands was not a big one. Just last February, Nepal had scored 145 runs against the Netherlands on the same pitch. In fact, Nepal had lost only four wickets while posting that total.

Despite suffering a heavy 10-wicket defeat in that match, strong middle-order contributions from Indu (39 runs), Puja (62 runs) and Rubina (20 runs) had helped Nepal register their highest-ever total at home. But in the ongoing tournament, Nepal’s middle order has failed to replicate that kind of batting. Against Thailand, Puja, who was out for six runs in the previous game, faced 21 balls this time but managed just eight runs, including one boundary. Indu, meanwhile, failed to cross six runs in both matches.

Batting at number six, Rubina somehow held one end together, scoring an unbeaten 37 off 32 balls with five fours. She shared a 45-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Sita Rana Magar. This is Nepal’s highest-ever partnership for the eighth wicket in international cricket since the country made its international debut in 2007.

Sita consoling Rubina after the two-run defeat. Photo: CAN

Interestingly, this partnership is also the seventh-highest eighth-wicket stand in world cricket. But despite the record-breaking effort by Rubina and Sita, Nepal could not avoid defeat. “This was our own wicket; it was flat. You could easily score eight or ten runs in an over. But we kept losing wickets one after another,” Rubina said.

As Rubina pointed out, the Netherlands’ middle order was scoring between seven and 17 runs per over. Nepal, on the other hand, struggled even to score five runs an over. This increased the pressure enormously on Rubina and Sita.

Rubina finished unbeaten on 37, while Sita scored an unbeaten 27 off 12 balls, hitting four fours and a six. Before the final over, Nepal needed 13 runs to win. Rubina managed nine runs, but Sita could score only one. As they attempted to run between the wickets, both Rubina and Sita eventually sank to the pitch in despair, accepting defeat.

“I tried to hit that ball straight, over the wicket, but I couldn’t connect. That’s why we lost,” Rubina said.

With the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six stage, Nepal were under pressure to win this match to keep their qualification hopes alive. For the Netherlands, however, a place in the Super Six was within reach even with two matches remaining.

Capitalizing on Nepal’s middle-order failures, the Netherlands made a comeback in a match they had nearly lost. With their third consecutive win, they became the first team to qualify for the Super Six. Earlier, the Netherlands had defeated Zimbabwe by 22 runs and Scotland by seven runs.

Head coach Neil MacRae looked pleased after opening what was considered a difficult door with two matches to spare. “Nepal are very strong when they play at home with domestic crowd support. You could feel that towards the end of the innings. That’s why it was a high-quality game. The opposition were excellent, and we are very happy to take the two points,” he said.

Nepal’s chances of progressing from Group B now look limited. While the Netherlands have secured their place in the next round, Thailand, with four points, are close to qualifying for the Super Six. Scotland, with three matches remaining, have two points. Zimbabwe and Nepal, both having played two matches, are yet to open their accounts.

Rubina reaches 1,000 runs

Rubina, who has been one of Nepal’s most consistent performers since 2009, has become only the second Nepali woman cricketer to score 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals.

She made her debut for Nepal against Iran at the Bayuemas Oval in Malaysia and reached the milestone on Thursday, following Indu. Indu had completed 1,000 runs in October last year against Malaysia, achieving the feat in her 77th match.

Rubina, however, needed four more matches to reach the landmark. In her 81st match, she took her tally to 1,005 runs, including one century and one half-century. She also holds the record for scoring Nepal’s first-ever T20I century.

On 13 February 2024, during the ACC Premier Cup in Kuala Lumpur, she played a magnificent unbeaten innings of 118 runs while Nepal piled up 227 runs against the Maldives.

Despite the personal milestone on Thursday, Rubina did not celebrate. Still hurting from the defeat, she said, “Milestones matter only when the team wins. Records will keep coming. More than the thousand runs, I hope I can make a bigger contribution in the next match.”