USA equals lowest score in ODIs, bowled out for 35 runs against Nepal

United States of America (USA) cricket team created a dubious record on Wednesday (February 12, 2020) when it was bowled for just 35 runs in 12 overs to equal the lowest ever One-Day International (ODI) score against Nepal at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur in Kathmandu. Nepal's leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane wrecked the USA innings claiming six wickets in six overs giving away just 16 runs while left-arm spinner Sushan Bhari was the other tormentor with four wickets in his three overs for five runs.

Nepal's deadly bowling decimated USA batsmen with only one of them reaching double digits while three of them were out for zero. USA opener Xavier Marshall was the top scorer with 16 with Ian Holland, Rusty Theron and Nosthush Kenjige being sent back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers. USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar remained not out on zero.

Lamichhane, the first Nepalese cricketer to play in the Indian Premier League T20 tournament in 2018 after he was bought by Delhi Daredevils, came up with his career-best ODI figures in the match. With Bhari, Lamichhane helped his team to also break the world record for the least number of balls taken by a team to bowl out the opposition in an ODI. The USA innings lasted just 12 overs (72 balls).

But Nepal, too, did not begin their chase of what looked like an easy target on a bright note. Their opening duo of captain Gyanendra Malla and Subash Khakurel made a disastrous start with the former being bowled for just 1 run while the latter was out for a duck. Both the batsmen fell to left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige in the second over.

Nepal were 2/2 in 1.5 overs and it seemed the match would turn out to be a low-scoring thriller.

However, the third wicket pair of Paras Khadka and Dipendra Singh Airee kept an aggressive intent and belted the USA bowlers around the park to take their team home in just 5.2. While Khadka remained not out on 20, Airee was on 11. Airee took his team home with a six off Kenjige. The entire match lasted just 17.2 overs and made one more entry into the record books as the shortest-ever ODI.

The umpires were Chettithody Shamsuddin and Durga Subedi while Buddhi Pradhan was the reserve umpire. The ICC match referee was Neeyamur Rahul.

USA joined Zimbabwe in the record books as the team to score the lowest in an ODI. Zimbabwe also have the third-lowest ODI score against their name. The other teams on the lowest score list are Canada (36), Zimbabwe (38), Sri Lanka (43) and Pakistan (43).