Zawad Abrar's Unbeaten 70 Guides Bangladesh U19 to Victory

Zawad Abrar’s Unbeaten 70 Guides Bangladesh U19 to Victory Read the match report and innings highlights.

Nepal U19 Batting Innings (130 All Out in 31.1 Overs)

Player Name	Runs	Balls
D Mandal	14	22
T Bholan	1	3
A Tiwari	30	43
D Khatri	1	9
A Dhami (C)	16	21
S Jha	11	14
Y Khatri	13	16
J BK	2	10
R Sharma	1	3
M Tamang	10	18
B Jora	12	11

Bangladesh U19 Batting Innings (135/3 in 24.5 Overs)

Player Name	Runs	Balls
A Hakim Tamim (C)	20	16
J Islam	1	5
Z Abrar (VC)	70*	68
K Siddiki Aleen	34	66
R Hossan	6*	8

Zawad Abrar’s Unbeaten 70 Guides Bangladesh U19 to Emphatic Victory Over Nepal

Dubai, The Sevens Stadium – In a commanding display of discipline and tactical maturity, the Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team solidified their semifinal aspirations in the 2025 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup with a comprehensive 7-wicket victory over Nepal U19. The match, played at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, was defined by a clinical bowling effort from the young Tigers followed by a masterclass in chasing from Vice-Captain Zawad Abrar, whose unbeaten 70 steered his side home with ease.

Nepal’s Batting Woes

The morning began with Bangladesh skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim winning the toss and electing to field—a decision that paid immediate dividends. Nepal, coming into the match hoping to cause an upset, found the conditions and the Bangladeshi attack difficult to handle from the outset.

The Nepalese openers struggled to find rhythm against the pace and movement of the Bangladeshi seamers. The pressure mounted early, and wickets began to tumble at regular intervals. Despite a fighting knock from Abhisekh Tiwari, who top-scored with a gritty 30 off 43 balls, the rest of the batting lineup failed to build substantial partnerships. The Bangladeshi bowlers hunted in a pack, maintaining tight lines that suffocated the scoring rate.

Pacer Md Sobuj was the wrecker-in-chief, claiming impressive figures of 3 for 27 in his 7 overs. His ability to break partnerships prevented Nepal from ever gaining momentum. Nepal’s innings folded for a modest 130 all out in 31.1 overs, a total that looked well below par on a surface that, while tricky, was not unplayable.

Abrar Anchors the Chase

Chasing a target of 131, Bangladesh faced an early scare. The Nepali bowlers, defending a small total, came out with intent, removing two early wickets to reduce the Tigers to a precarious position. For a brief moment, Nepal sensed an opening, hoping to trigger a collapse similar to the ones seen earlier in the tournament.

However, Zawad Abrar had other plans. Walking in with the scorecard reading 34/2, the vice-captain displayed nerves of steel. He combined caution with aggression, absorbing the early pressure before unleashing his strokes. Partnering with Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Abrar stabilized the innings. Aleen played the perfect foil, rotating the strike and grinding out a valuable 34 off 66 balls in a partnership that effectively shut the door on Nepal’s hopes.

Abrar’s innings was a blend of class and power. He finished unbeaten on 70 off just 68 deliveries, striking 7 boundaries and 3 massive sixes. His strike rate of over 100 in a low-scoring chase highlighted his dominance. He finished the match in style, ensuring Bangladesh reached 135/3 in just 24.5 overs, sealing the win with more than 25 overs to spare.

Captains’ Reactions

In the post-match presentation, Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim Tamim expressed satisfaction with the team effort but noted areas for improvement. “I am not happy with my individual performance, but as a team, we did really well with both bat and ball,” Hakim said. “We gave up many extras, which is something we need to fix before the big matches, but Zawad and Aleen played brilliant cricket today.”

On the losing side, Nepal skipper Ashok Dhami lamented the lack of application from his batters. “The conditions were tough, but we didn’t apply ourselves. A total of 200-220 would have been competitive. We will take this as a learning experience,” he admitted.