Nepal Records Their Highest Successful ODI Run Chase! A Thrilling Win Over Scotland in a Last Ball Thriller
The 73rd match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 saw a dramatic finish where Nepal secured a thrilling 1-wicket victory over Scotland at the Forthill, Dundee on Monday (June 02).
Furthermore, the drama continued to intensify even after pulling off the winning run with one ball to spare as Nepal fans in the stands rushed onto the field. The celebrations escalated to a peak level as it was Nepal’s highest ever successful run chases in ODI. But the credit goes to Karan KC’s heroic knock, who revived his team’s fading hopes and kept the run chase alive till the last ball.
Scotland’s Disciplined Batting Performance
Despite losing the toss and batting first, Scotland was in complete control by posting a total of 296/7 in 50 overs. The valuable fifties from Charlie Tear (80 runs from 72 balls — including 12 fours and 1 six) and Finlay McCreath (55 runs from 67 balls— including 3 fours and 1 six) helped the hosts to set a challenging target.
The 2-fers from Rijan Dhakal (2/78), Karan KC (2/43), and Sompal Kami (2/66), along with Sandeep Lamichhane’s 1/44 in 10 overs, weren’t enough for the visitors to tame Scotland’s batting line-up prowess.
Nepal’s Thrilling Run Chase in ODI History!
Chasing a 297-run target in 50 overs, Nepal was off to a brisk start with the opening batter Kushal Bhurtel scoring 53 runs from just 44 balls (including 11 fours).
However, the visitors slipped from 152/3 in 28.4 overs to 192/7 in 38.2 overs. The all-rounder Karan KC’s arrival at No.9 repaired the collapse by scoring an unbeaten 65 runs from 41 balls (including 3 fours and 4 sixes).
Karan’s 60-run partnership with Gulsan Jha, who played a supportive knock of 42 runs from 30 balls (including 3 fours and 3 sixes), rescued the team from a helpless situation.
Even after Gulsan’s dismissal, Karan kept the scoreboard ticking by facing the majority of deliveries and accumulating runs consistently. As a result, Nepal entered the last over on 290/8 after Karan smashed a six, two fours, and both doubles to accumulate 18 runs from the 49th over.
Unexpected Twist in the Last Ball!
The Scotland bowlers kept the situation under control till the last ball with these noteworthy contributions:
- Brandon McMullen: 3/47 in 10 overs.
- Michael Leask: 2/40 in 8 overs.
- Jack Jarvis: 2/42 in 7 overs.
- Mark Watt: 1/53 in 9.5 overs.
In the first ball of the last over, left-arm spinner Mark Watt trapped Sandeep Lamichhane to a caught-out dismissal. In other words, the last man, Rijan Dhakal, joined Karan to score 7 runs from the remaining 5 balls.
At one stage, the equation came down to five runs off three balls when Dhakal grabbed a quick single. Before the penultimate ball, Karan managed to score two doubles.
When one run was required off the last ball, Mark Watt targeted Karan’s pads by bowling around the wicket. Shockingly, the Scotland wicketkeeper Matthew Cross fumbled to collect the delivery cleanly, which was wide down the leg side. Karan at the striker’s end couldn’t hit the ball, and desperately ran for a single, prompting Dhakal to complete the required run.
By that time, the keeper had already smashed the stumps, and Scotland celebrated that they would play a Super Over contest, believing that they had bowled Nepal out. However, the delayed wide signal from the umpire added a new twist to the game.
As soon as Karan saw the signal, he raised the bat in celebration and erupted in joy, understanding that it was Nepal that won the contest and not Scotland.
Crowd Celebration After Nepal’s Dramatic Run Chase
A majority of the crowd jumped over the boundary and reached the pitch as the Nepalese cricketers ran to lift Karan on their shoulders and celebrate his match-winning knock. Despite Nepal’s middle-order collapse, the 33-year-old ensured his calm stay at the crease as well as took calculated risks by smashing boundaries whenever required.
Unfortunately, the Scotland players walked away from the field with disappointment, knowing that it was a wide ball and had no option to challenge the umpire’s decision.
List of Nepal’s Highest Successful ODI Run Chases. Ft against Scotland
Nepal would have a memorable match to remember as they surpassed their previous records of securing their highest ever successful ODI run chase, and here is the detailed list:
| Target | Nepal’s Score in the Run Chase | Winning Margin | Opponent Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 297 | 297/9 in 49.5 overs | Won by 1 Wicket (1 Ball to Spare) | Scotland | 2025 |
| 286 | 287/6 in 45.1 overs | Won by 4 Wickets (29 Balls to Spare) | Canada | 2024 |
| 286 | 287/8 in 47.4 overs | Won by 2 Wickets (14 Balls to Spare) | Namibia | 2023 |
| 274 | 278/7 in 47.3 overs | Won by 3 Wickets (15 Balls to Spare) | Namibia | 2023 |
| 275 | 275/7 in 47 overs | Won by 3 Wickets (18 Balls to Spare) | Scotland | 2023 |
| 274 | 274 all-out in 49.2 overs | Tied | USA | 2022 |
| 255 | 255/6 in 44.4 overs | Won by 4 Wickets (32 Balls to Spare) | UAE | 2019 |
| 233 | 234/1 in 44.3 overs | Won by 9 Wickets (33 Balls to Spare) | Canada | 2024 |
| 231 | 231/5 in 49 overs | Won by 5 Wickets (6 Balls to Spare) | USA | 2021 |
| 212 | 231/8 in 44.1 overs | Won by 2 Wickets (35 Balls to Spare) | Scotland | 2023 |
Nepal and Scotland Rankings in ICC CWC League 2 Points Table
With this victory, Nepal currently ranks in the second bottom position of the CWC League 2 points table by securing 8 points and -0.238 net-run-rate (NRR). So far, the Rohit Paudel-led side has won only 3 out of 13 games, which includes 2 abandoned matches as well.
In contrast, Scotland, having won 9 out of 17 matches, ranks fourth in the points table with 20 points and +0.998 NRR.
The tournament continues till June 12 (Thursday), with Nepal having another three more games to go, which include two of them against the Netherlands (on June 04 and June 10), and one against Scotland (June 08).
