The fight for the remaining semi-final spot in Group A goes down to the wire on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as Hong Kong take on already-qualified Nepal at Kuala Lumpur's Bayuemas Oval. Hong Kong need a win to move to six points and overturn Malaysia's net-run-rate advantage.
Hong Kong's route is straightforward but demanding: they must beat Nepal to move to six points and then rely on their net run rate being better than Malaysia's. A victory would give Hong Kong the points they need to move ahead of Malaysia, but the margin of victory could also prove crucial if both teams finish level on points.
Malaysia, meanwhile, have completed their group-stage campaign and can only watch the outcome of the Nepal-Hong Kong clash. Hong Kong therefore have both the opportunity and the pressure to produce a strong performance, with the result and their final net run rate potentially determining who joins Nepal in the semi-finals.
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Date And Time
The Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026 match will begin at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Venue
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026 match will be played at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur.
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Live Telecast In India
The Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026 match will not be telecast live on television in India.
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Live Streaming
Fans in India can watch the Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026 match live on the FanCode app and website.
ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Group A Points Table
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Preview
Nepal have set the early pace in Group A, with Sandeep Lamichhane's side sitting on six points after winning all three of their matches. They began with a seven-wicket victory over Bahrain before producing another assured display to beat hosts Malaysia by six wickets.
Their latest success came against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, when Nepal negotiated a challenging chase with the help of an unbeaten 44 from 35 balls by Gulshan Jha. The all-rounder also claimed a wicket and was named Player of the Match.
Sandeep Lamichhane played a key role with the ball, returning 3 for 19, while Dipendra Singh Airee took 3 for 43.Nepal's bowling attack has consistently kept the pressure on their opponents, while Dev Khanal and Aasif Sheikh have provided a solid platform in the chase.
Hong Kong's campaign has taken a more unpredictable path, with Yasim Murtaza's team now facing a potentially decisive meeting with Nepal. They opened the tournament by beating Saudi Arabia by 16 runs, before Bahrain handed them a 32-run defeat. Saturday's clash with Malaysia produced a dramatic turnaround. Kalhan Challu's 69 and Anshy Rath's 44 helped Hong Kong reach 209, only for Malaysia to finish on exactly the same score at 209 for 9.
The deadlock sent the match to a Super Over, where Rath took centre stage once again, striking 14 from three balls to seal victory. Hong Kong currently have four points, level with Malaysia but behind them on net run rate. A win over Nepal would take Hong Kong to six points, and they would need to finish with a better net run rate than Malaysia to secure the remaining semi-final spot.
Nepal vs Hong Kong ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026: Squads
Nepal: Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Dipendra Singh Airee, Ishan Pandey, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel, Sundeep Jora, Sher Malla, Hemant Dhami, Dev Khanal, Arjun Kumal, Gulshan Jha, Basir Ahamad.
Hong Kong: Yasim Murtaza (c), Aizaz Khan, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Ehsan Khan, Babar Hayat, Kinchit Shah, Anshy Rath, Shahid Wasif (wk), Hassan Khan Mohammad, Kalhan Challu, Nasrulla Rana, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ayush Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal.
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