In their last group-stage match in the current U19 Asia Cup, Nepal's U19 cricketteam defeated Afghanistan by one wicket in a thrilling contest played in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan made a respectable 124 runs after deciding to bat first. Younis Thakuri and Santosh Yadav led the charge with three wickets, demonstrating Nepal's disciplined bowling unit during the innings. Abhishek Tiwari and captain Hemant Dhami helped significantly, taking two wickets each to restrain Afghanistan's batting.

Nepal played a difficult innings chasing a difficult target. Afghanistan won when the Nepal squad was struggling at 84 for 8 in early setbacks. But captain Hemant Dhami (22 not out) and Naren Saud (26), who added a vital 31-run partnership for the ninth wicket, show steely nerves. Nepal came extremely close to the goal thanks to their efforts.

Dhami guided Nepal to victory in 41.3 overs by staying his ground to the very end. With additional batting contributions from Arjun Kumal (21), Abhishek Tiwari (13), and Akash Tripathi (9) Nepal had just enough firepower to reach the finish line.

For Afghanistan, Allah Ghazanfar and Khatir Stanikzai were the standout performers, each claiming three wickets to keep their side in the contest till the last moments.

Despite the exciting victory, Nepal's tournament journey comes to an end here because they were eliminated from the knockout stage due to defeats in their previous games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. But the team's spirit and willpower in this last game gave supporters a memorable performance.