Nepal make it to their maiden Asia Cup; to be in India & Pakistan's group

Nepal have made history by qualifying for their first-ever Asia Cup by beating the United Arab Emirates in the final of the ACC Men's Premier Cup on Tuesday, May 2. Their win at the TU ground in Kathmandu has also ensured that they take the final spot in Group A of the Asia Cup alongside giants like India and Pakistan.

The UAE were bundled out for just 117 in the final on Tuesday thanks to some brilliant bowling from Lalit Rajbanshi (4/14). Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane also chipped in with two wickets each as Nepal had a modest target to chase.

Things could have gotten tricky in the second innings as the UAE had a potent spin attack in their possession. However, 17-year-old Gulsan Jha played an incredible knock, remaining unbeaten on 67, to ensure that the hosts faced no major hiccups and coasted to a seven-wicket win.

This is a massive feat for Nepal and their passionate fans, who will be lapping it up for their team in the Asia Cup come September.

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Nepal yet to know Asia Cup venues

The Asia Cup 2023 is set to take place from September 2 to 17. However, the ACC is yet to finalize the venues due to the increasing tension caused by the contrasting stances of India and Pakistan.

Pakistan had the hosting rights for the 2023 edition of the tournament. However, ACC Chairman Jay Shah made it clear that the Men in Blue won't travel to Pakistan due to security reasons.

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi also didn't give in. Sethi later advised a rather hybrid model of the tournament, where India would probably play all their games at a neutral venue. However, even this proposal hasn't been accepted yet and the situation seems to have come to a standstill.

There are also reports that Pakistan may boycott the 2023 World Cup hosted by India if they are not allowed to host the Asia Cup. The coming few weeks will be crucial for fans and the cricketing community to understand how this situation pans out.