At ACC Premier Cup final, it’s the ‘Associate El Clásico’ once again

Nepal defended a low total against Oman in the semis on Thursday to set up a high-stakes final against arch-rivals UAE, with a direct berth to the 2027 Asia Cup on the line.

There is no bigger rivalry in Associate cricket than the one between Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The two teams, familiar opponents currently ranked 18th and 19th in the ICC ODI ranking , have competed in many high-stakes matches over the years. The two have come face-to-face in 32 instances, including 19 ODIs and 13 T20Is, so far, many of them going down to the wire. Nepal have won 11 one-days and seven T20Is.