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KATHMANDU, May 22 – Nepal has scripted history by posting a monumental total of 317 runs against the United States in their final match of the 18th round of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2.

After being put in to bat first by the USA, who won the toss, Nepal showcased a batting masterclass to finish on 317/8 in their allotted 50 overs.

This score marks Nepal's highest-ever total when batting first in One Day International (ODI) cricket. It eclipses Nepal's previous highest first-innings total of 310 runs, which was set against Oman during the ACC Premier Cup in Kathmandu back in 2023.

Top-Order Foundation and Pivotal Partnerships

Opening batsmen Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh gave Nepal a solid platform, putting together a 69-run opening partnership. Bhurtel was the first to fall, scoring a brisk 29 off 39 balls, while Sheikh anchored his way to 43 runs off 57 balls, smashing 6 boundaries.

Following the departure of the openers, skipper Rohit Paudel and Ishan Pandey took charge of the innings. The duo put on a magnificent 110-run partnership for the third wicket, putting Nepal in a commanding position.

• Ishan Pandey led the scoring charts for Nepal with a brilliant, composed knock of 84 runs off 83 balls, featuring 8 boundaries and a six.

• Rohit Paudel missed out on his second consecutive ODI half-century by just four runs, falling trapped LBW to Milind Kumar for 46 runs.

Death-Overs Fireworks by Dipendra Singh Airee

Vice-captain Dipendra Singh Airee then provided the late-innings explosive firepower. He blasted his 9th ODI half-century off just 29 deliveries, eventually departing after a fiery 59 runs off 36 balls, laced with 4 boundaries and 4 towering sixes.

Airee stitched together two crucial lower-order partnerships:

• A 47-run stand for the fifth wicket with Gulshan Jha (15 runs off 12 balls).

• A 38-run stand for the sixth wicket with Aarif Sheikh, who remained unbeaten on a quickfire 18 runs off just 10 balls to take Nepal past the 315-run mark.

USA Bowling Summary: Saurabh Netravalkar was the pick of the bowlers for the United States, claiming 3 wickets, while Rustam Ugarakar and Milind Kumar chipped in with 1 wicket each to stem the flow of runs in the final overs.