Favourites flex muscles on road to Asia Cup 2023

A colossal partnership between Vriitya Aravind and Rohan Mustafa powered UAE to a resounding victory over Kuwait, as both players raised their bats for centuries.

Seemingly stuck at 24/3, Aravind (185 from 147 balls) and Mustafa (118 from 125 balls) put on 275 in just 42 overs. Aravind carried on after losing his partner, helping the side post an impressive 371/6 with the help of March ICC Player of the Month nominee Asif Khan, who hit 30* off just nine deliveries.

Kuwait never mounted a challenge of the target, though there were highlights thanks to quick-fire fifties from Parvinder Kumar and Sayed Monib.

Parvindar made 53 from just 26 balls, hitting 42 runs in sixes alone, while Monib, coming in at No.9, blazed a 36-ball 68 with five sixes of his own. The side eventually fell for 228, with Junaid Siddique and Karthik Meiyappan taking three wickets apiece.

Qatar mounted a decent challenge in pursuit of Oman’s 249/8, though no player could capitalise on a start with bat in hand, eventually falling for 209.

Captain Mohammed Rizlan made 43, and three players fell between 26 and 30, against an Omani outfit who kept things tight.

So typically tormenting opposition top-orders, Bilal Khan claimed Kamran Khan early, though he did most of his damage in the back half, taking three wickets to finish proceedings off, finishing with 4/42 (8.2).

Off the back of their stunning run home in League 2, Nepal continued their good form with the bat, comfortably accounting for Malaysia in a chase of 236.

Despite the early loss of Aasif Sheikh (1), Bhim Sharki showed maturity in his knock of 71 (91), and the 21-year-old boasts 281 runs at 56.2 in his last five ODI knocks.

Skipper Rohit Paudel made 42 from 43 balls to push things along with Sharki, and Kushal Malla’s 70* from 40 balls thundered the hosts to victory, stealing Player of the Match honours in the process. Sompal Kami, spearheading the attack, was Nepal’s best with the ball, taking 3/40 earlier in the day.

Pre-tournament chat of Hong Kong focused on their bolstered batting, though it was their spin-bowling clan that powered them to victory over Singapore.

Ever-present Ehsan Khan tormented with his off-spin, finishing with 4/24, while Yasim Murtaza probed with his left-arm orthodox lines, beating players mixing up his pace in a spell of 3/25. Leg-spinner Mohamad Ghazanfar claimed Singapore’s final wicket to end up with 1/39, and Hong Kong made light work of the chase, thanks to a blistering Babar Hayat century (108* from 94 balls).

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia make their first appearances of the tournament in day three action, taking on Singapore and Malaysia respectively.