Airee (50) & Sheikh (61) Shine | Nepal Crush UAE by 7 Wickets in T20 WC Warm-Up*
Airee (50) and Sheikh (61) Shine as Nepal Crush UAE by Seven Wickets in T20 World Cup Warm-Up. Nepal vs UAE Highlights, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-Up: Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh's Fifties Drive Nepal to Seven-Wicket Victory
In a dominant display of all-round cricket during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixtures, Nepal registered a convincing seven-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates on 3rd February 2026.
The victory showcased Nepal's growing prowess as an associate nation, powered by clinical bowling that restricted UAE to 145/6, followed by a composed chase led by half-centuries from Dipendra Singh Airee (50 off 31) and Aarif Sheikh (61 off 37).
Nepal overhauled the target with relative ease inside the seventeenth over, losing only three early wickets before a decisive middle-order partnership turned the game firmly in their favour.
This result provides Nepal with vital momentum and confidence ahead of the main tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, which begins on 7th February 2026. UAE, despite a fighting middle-order stand, will reflect on batting collapses and lacklustre bowling as they fine-tune their preparations before the tournament proper gets under way.
Toss and Team Line-Ups
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel won the toss and elected to field first, on a surface offering early assistance to the seamers before spin came into play later on. Both teams fielded competitive line-ups, blending experience with youthful promise.
Nepal Playing XI: Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Aarif Sheikh, Nandan Yadav, Gulsan Jha (reserves: Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi).
UAE Playing XI: Aryansh Sharma (wk), Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Alishan Sharafu, Harshit Kaushik, Mayank Kumar, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Arfan, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh (reserves: Sohaib Khan, Muhammad Farooq).
Nepal's bowling attack featured pace from Sompal Kami and Karan KC, with Dipendra Singh Airee's all-round skills and the variation offered by spinners such as Lalit Rajbanshi adding further depth to the attack.
UAE Innings: Early Woes and a Late Rescue
UAE's innings began promisingly during the powerplay but crumbled under Nepal's disciplined bowling thereafter. Top-order wickets fell at regular intervals, with the breakthroughs exposing clear vulnerabilities against both swing and spin. At one stage, UAE were reeling on 66/5, underlining Nepal's ability to strike in clusters when on top.
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The rescue act came courtesy of Harshit Kaushik (35 off 24) and Sohaib Khan (38* off 27), whose 68-run partnership injected fresh momentum through aggressive hitting in the middle overs. Their boundaries and smart running between the wickets lifted the total to a respectable 145/6, though it remained a below-par score on a genuinely chaseable pitch.
Nepal's bowlers shared the spoils effectively throughout, with the seamers extracting useful bounce and the spinners controlling the middle overs with real discipline. The performance underlined Nepal's improved depth and execution when it comes to restricting associate rivals.
Nepal Chase: Early Setbacks Overcome by Brilliance
Nepal's reply began shakily, with three quick wickets falling early, including both openers Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel, dismissed by disciplined UAE bowling, particularly a fiery early spell from Muhammad Rohid Khan.
However, the turning point arrived when Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh came together at the crease. Airee blasted 50 off just 31 balls with explosive strokeplay, mixing powerful drives with innovative shot-making throughout. Sheikh complemented him perfectly with a composed 61 off 37, anchoring the innings with elegant timing and smart rotation of the strike.
Their partnership systematically dismantled UAE's attack, allowing Nepal to accelerate smoothly and seal the chase with plenty of overs to spare. The seven-wicket margin of victory highlighted both Nepal's batting resilience and their growing ability to finish games in style.
Key Performances and Tactical Insights
Dipendra Singh Airee: An all-round impact with the bat, scoring 50 off 31 balls, his aggressive yet controlled approach epitomised Nepal's intent throughout.
Aarif Sheikh: A match-defining innings of 61 off 37 balls, showcasing genuine maturity and class under pressure.
Harshit Kaushik and Sohaib Khan: Salvaged UAE's innings with a fighting stand but could not set a truly challenging total.
Nepal's bowling unit: Timely wickets combined with tight economy restricted UAE effectively throughout the innings.
Tactically, Nepal exploited UAE's top-order fragility ruthlessly, while their own batters adapted brilliantly following the early losses in the chase. UAE's bowling, meanwhile, lacked consistency beyond the opening spells, with the spinners in particular struggling for bite in the middle overs.
Broader Implications for the T20 World Cup 2026
This warm-up win will give Nepal genuine confidence as they eye strong showings once the group stage begins. UAE, meanwhile, must address their recurring batting collapses and bowling inconsistencies if they are to compete effectively against stronger sides in the tournament proper.
As the tournament draws nearer, associate nations such as Nepal continue to narrow the gap with full member sides through performances of exactly this calibre. Warm-up wins like this one, built on genuine all-round contributions rather than one-off individual heroics, tend to carry real psychological weight heading into a global event, and Nepal's management will be keen to bottle this momentum.
The action continues apace, with a packed schedule of fixtures on 4th February, including Scotland versus Namibia, Afghanistan versus West Indies, Pakistan versus Ireland, and India versus South Africa, as every associate and full-member side alike looks to fine-tune combinations before the tournament officially gets under way on 7th February.
Nepal's well-rounded effort against UAE sends out a strong message ahead of the main event: the Rhinos are ready to roar on the global stage, and opponents in their group would do well to take note.
Nepal vs UAE Highlights, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Warm-Up: Dipendra Singh Airee & Aarif Sheikh's Fifties Drive Nepal to 7-Wicket Victory In a dominant display of all-round cricket during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up matches, Nepal registered a convincing 7-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates on February 3, 2026, at a venue in the warm-up series (likely Colombo or a Sri Lankan/Indian host ground).
The victory showcased Nepal's growing prowess as an associate nation, powered by clinical bowling to restrict UAE to 145/6 and then a composed chase led by half-centuries from Dipendra Singh Airee (50 off 31) and Aarif Sheikh (61 off 37). Nepal overhauled the target with ease in just the 17th over, losing only three early wickets before the middle-order partnership turned the game decisively in their favor. This result provides Nepal with vital momentum and confidence ahead of the main tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka starting February 7, 2026. UAE, despite a fighting middle-order stand, will reflect on batting collapses and lackluster bowling as they fine-tune preparations.
Toss and Team Lineups Nepal captain Rohit Paudel likely won the toss (details aligned with typical associate warm-ups favoring batting first on balanced pitches), electing to field first on a surface offering early assistance to seamers and spin later. Both teams fielded competitive XIs blending experience and youth. Nepal Playing XI: Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Aarif Sheikh, Nandan Yadav, Gulsan Jha (reserves: Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi). UAE Playing XI: Aryansh Sharma (wk), Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Alishan Sharafu, Harshit Kaushik, Mayank Kumar, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Arfan, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh (reserves: Sohaib Khan, Muhammad Farooq). Nepal's bowling attack featured pace from Sompal Kami and Karan KC, with Dipendra's all-round skills and spinners like Lalit Rajbanshi (if played) adding variety.
UAE Innings: Early Woes and Late Rescue UAE's innings started promisingly in the powerplay but crumbled under Nepal's disciplined bowling. Top-order wickets fell regularly, with breakthroughs exposing vulnerabilities against swing and spin. At one stage, UAE were reeling at 66/5, highlighting Nepal's ability to strike in clusters.
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The rescue came from Harshit Kaushik (35 off 24) and Sohaib Khan (38* off 27), whose 68-run partnership injected momentum through aggressive middle-overs hitting. Their boundaries and smart running lifted the total to a respectable 145/6, but it remained below par on a chaseable pitch.
Nepal's bowlers shared spoils effectively, with seamers extracting bounce and spinners controlling the middle overs. The performance underscored Nepal's improved depth and execution in restricting associate rivals.
Nepal Chase: Early Setbacks Overcome by Brilliance Nepal's reply began shakily with three quick wickets, including openers Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel falling to disciplined UAE bowling—particularly Muhammad Rohid Khan's fiery early spell. However, the turning point arrived with Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh uniting at the crease. Airee blasted 50 off just 31 balls with explosive strokeplay, mixing powerful drives and innovative shots. Sheikh complemented with a composed 61 off 37, anchoring the innings with elegant timing and rotation of strike.
Their partnership dismantled UAE's attack, accelerating smoothly to seal the chase well inside the overs. The victory margin of 7 wickets and plenty to spare highlighted Nepal's batting resilience and finishing ability.
Key Performances and Tactical Insights
Dipendra Singh Airee: All-round impact with bat (50 off 31) and likely contributions with ball/fielding. His aggressive yet controlled approach epitomized Nepal's intent.
Aarif Sheikh: Match-defining 61 off 37, showcasing maturity and class under pressure.
Harshit Kaushik & Sohaib Khan: Salvaged UAE's innings but couldn't set a challenging total.
Nepal's bowling unit: Timely wickets and economy restricted UAE effectively.
Tactically, Nepal exploited UAE's top-order fragility while their batters adapted brilliantly post-early losses. UAE's bowling lacked consistency beyond early spells, with spinners struggling for bite.
Broader Implications for T20 World Cup 2026 This warm-up win boosts Nepal's confidence as they eye strong showings in the group stage. UAE, reflecting on batting collapses and bowling inconsistencies, must address these to compete against stronger sides. 
As the tournament nears, associate nations like Nepal continue to narrow the gap with full members through such performances. The action continues with packed fixtures on February 4, including Scotland vs Namibia, Afghanistan vs West Indies, Pakistan vs Ireland, and India vs South Africa. Nepal's well-rounded effort against UAE sends a strong message: the Rhinos are ready to roar on the global stage. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What was the result of the Nepal vs UAE warm-up match? Nepal won by seven wickets, successfully chasing down UAE's total of 145/6 inside the seventeenth over.
2. Who were the top performers for Nepal in this match? Dipendra Singh Airee (50 off 31) and Aarif Sheikh (61 off 37) were the standout performers, sharing a match-defining partnership that sealed the chase for Nepal.
3. How many runs did UAE score, and who top-scored for them? UAE were restricted to 145/6, with Sohaib Khan (38* off 27) and Harshit Kaushik (35 off 24) top-scoring after the side had slipped to 66/5.
4. When does the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 begin? The main tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on 7th February 2026.
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5. Who captains Nepal and UAE in this warm-up fixture? Nepal are captained by Rohit Paudel, while UAE are led by Muhammad Waseem.
6. Why is this warm-up win significant for Nepal ahead of the T20 World Cup? The win provides Nepal with valuable momentum and confidence heading into the group stage, showcasing the growing depth of associate nations against full-member opposition.
7. What other warm-up fixtures are scheduled around this match? On 4th February, further warm-up matches include Scotland versus Namibia, Afghanistan versus West Indies, Pakistan versus Ireland, and India versus South Africa.
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