Vinicius double helps Real to 3-1 home win over Villarreal
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr scored twice before a late finish from Kylian Mbappe wrapped up a 3-1 home victory over Villarreal, who finished with 10 men in Saturday’s LaLiga clash, Reuters reported.
Real now sit top on 21 points, two clear of Barcelona who visit Sevilla on Sunday. Villarreal are third on 16 points.
The game was deadlocked in the early stages, but Real began to pile on the pressure as the clock ticked past 20 minutes, according to Reuters .
Nepal squad for T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier announced
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the 15-member national squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, to be held in Oman.
The team, led by Rohit Kumar Paudel, was announced on Friday, CAN spokesperson Chhumbi Lama said. The squad includes Dipendra Singh Airee (Vice-captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Kushal Malla, Aasif Sheikh, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sandeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha, and Sompal Kami.
The qualifier will take place from Oct 8 to 17 at the Al Amerat Cricket Academy Ground in Oman. Nepal is placed in Group 2 and will face Kuwait and Japan in the group stage.
Altogether, nine teams from Asia and East Asia–Pacific have qualified for the tournament, divided into three groups of three teams each.
Lamichhane was suspended from West Indies series
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced that leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was suspended for the final two matches of the historic T20I Series against West Indies, held in Sharjah, UAE, from Sept 27 to 30. Nepal went on to win the series 2–1.
According to CAN, Lamichhane informed team management just 45 minutes before the start of the opening match on Sept 27 that he would not participate. His sudden decision, the association said, had a “serious impact” on team management, players, and Nepali cricket as a whole.
On the recommendation of the team management, CAN suspended Lamichhane from the remaining two matches of the series. However, it remains unclear whether the suspension applies only to the West Indies series or extends to Nepal’s upcoming fixtures as well.
The association said Nepal’s immediate focus is the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia/EAP Final Qualifier, to be held in Oman from Oct 8 to 17. The national squad of 16 players and full officials has already departed from the UAE to Oman.
CAN expressed gratitude to fans for their continued support and urged them to encourage the team as it prepares for the crucial qualifying tournament.
Nepal crush West Indies by 90 runs, seal series
Nepal registered a thumping 90-run victory over West Indies in the second T20I on Monday night at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, sealing the three-match series 2-0 with one game still to play.
Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first, putting up a strong total of 173/6 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh starred with an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls, while Sundeep Jora smashed 63 from 39 deliveries to steady the innings after early setbacks. Mohammad Aadil Alam added a brisk 11 off five balls to push the score past 170. For the West Indies, Akeal Hosein impressed with figures of 2/21 and Kyle Mayers also took two wickets.
In reply, the West Indies struggled to build momentum and were bowled out for just 83 in 17.1 overs, falling well short of the 174-run target. Jason Holder’s quick 21 off 15 balls was the only notable contribution. Nepal’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance, with Mohammad Aadil Alam claiming 4/24, Kushal Bhurtel 3/16, and Lalit Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singh Airee taking one wicket each.
