KATHMANDU: Nepal clinched a crucial victory against Bahrain in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers held at Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday.

Nepal won by 6 wickets under the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method, keeping its hopes alive for the Super Three stage.

With the loss, Bahrain has been eliminated from the tournament. For Nepal to advance to the Super Three, it must wait for the outcome of Friday’s match between Hong Kong and Bahrain. A Hong Kong loss would make Nepal’s path to the next stage easier.

Following the win, Nepal climbed to the top of Group ‘C’ with 5 points from 4 matches, while Hong Kong, with 4 points from 3 matches, is in second place. Due to rain interruptions, Nepal was given a target of 56 runs in 7 overs, which it achieved in just 5.4 overs, losing 4 wickets.

For Nepal, Captain Indu Barma led the chase with an unbeaten 24 runs, while Pooja Mahato contributed an unbeaten 13. Bahrain’s Pavithra Setty claimed three wickets during Nepal’s innings.

Earlier, Bahrain, having won the toss, opted to bat first and managed to score 76 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 12.4 overs before rain halted the game.

For Bahrain, Rasika Rodrigo scored 24, Captain Deepika Rasangika added 23, and Tharanga Gajanayake made 12. The qualifiers are divided into three groups, with the group winners advancing to the Super Three stage. The top two teams from the Super Three will secure spots in the Global Qualifiers for the T20 World Cup.