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KATHMANDU, May 22 – The Nepal National Cricket Team wrapped up the 18th round of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 with a resounding 122-run victory over the United States of America at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Friday.

Defending a historic total, Nepal's bowling unit produced a combined masterclass to bundle out the visitors for 195 runs in 41.2 overs, securing one of their most dominant wins in the tournament.

USA Collapse Under Pressure After Strong Resistance

Chasing a colossal target of 318 runs, the United States found themselves choked by regular breakthroughs.

• Sanjay Krishnamurthi played a lone, valiant hand for the Americans, top-scoring with a defiant 56 runs.

• Shayan Jahangir (27), Shehan Jayasuriya (26), Nosthush Kenjige (24), and Sai Teja Mukkamulla (22) all got off to promising starts but failed to convert them into match-winning partnerships.

• Mid-order batsman Milind Kumar added a brief 12 runs, but no other American batter could register double digits as the tail crumbled under scoreboard pressure.

Lamichhane Leads the Spin Web

Nepal's star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was the destructor-in-chief, dismantling the USA batting spine with figures of 3 wickets.

The spin duo and pace battery kept the pressure intact from both ends:

• Left-arm orthodox Lalit Rajbanshi extracted a sharp turn to claim 2 wickets.

• All-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee showcased his utility with a tight spell, bagging 2 wickets.

• Young speedster Gulshan Jha bowled with great pace to return with 2 wickets, while veteran pacer Sompal Kami chipped in with 1 wicket to clean up the tail.

The Historic First-Innings Setup

Earlier in the day, after being put into bat first on a flat Kirtipur track, Nepal rewrote the record books by registering their highest-ever ODI total when batting first, scoring 317/8 in 50 overs.

The foundation was laid by a spectacular top-order showing:

• Ishan Pandey anchored the innings with a majestic 84 runs off 83 balls (8 fours, 1 six).

• Dipendra Singh Airee smashed a ruthless 59 runs off 36 balls, blistering 4 sixes to shift the momentum completely in the death overs.

• Captain Rohit Paudel missed his half-century by a whisker, scoring a crucial 46, while opener Aasif Sheikh (43) and Kushal Bhurtel (29) laid a perfect launchpad.

For the USA, Saurabh Netravalkar (referred to locally as Shubham Ranjane) was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, but his efforts were overwhelmed by Nepal's collective batting fury.

Match Summary:

• Nepal: 317/8 in 50 overs (Ishan Pandey 84, Dipendra Singh Airee 59; Saurabh Netravalkar 3/X)

• USA: 195/10 in 41.2 overs (Sanjay Krishnamurthi 56; Sandeep Lamichhane 3/X, Lalit Rajbanshi 2/X)

• Result: Nepal won by 122 runs.