United States of America (USA) Women, captained by Aditiba Chudasama, registered a convincing 44-run victory over Nepal Women, led by Indu Barma, in the second match of the ICC Women’s T20 Challenge Trophy 2026 at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Rwanda. The tournament had earlier seen Italy defeat Rwanda by 16 runs in the opening game.
Ganesh Anchors USA Recovery After Early Blows
Nepal captain Indu Barma opted to bowl first after winning the toss, and her decision paid immediate dividends. Manisha Upadhayay struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Sainavi Kambalapalli and Isani Vaghela on consecutive deliveries to put USA under early pressure.
In response, wicketkeeper-batter Pooja Ganesh joined Chetna Pagydyala to stabilise the innings. The pair put together a crucial 75-run partnership for the third wicket, rebuilding the innings after the early setbacks.
Riya Sharma eventually broke the stand in the 14th over, dismissing Pagydyala for 30 off 37 balls. Ganesh then found another reliable partner in Gargi Bhogle, with the duo adding 44 runs for the fourth wicket to take USA past the 120-run mark.
Despite losing three wickets in the final over, USA managed to post 123/6 in their 20 overs. Ganesh top-scored with 47 off 49 balls, narrowly missing out on a half-century, while Bhogle contributed a valuable 34 off 27. The innings also included 10 extras.
For Nepal, Manisha Upadhayay led the bowling effort with figures of 4-0-12-2, while Kabita Kunwar (4-0-17-1) and Riya Sharma (4-0-20-1) provided solid support.
USA Bowlers Dominate as Nepal Fall Short
Chasing 124, Nepal struggled to build momentum against a disciplined USA bowling attack that made scoring difficult throughout the innings.
Bindu Rawal top-scored with 27 off 45 balls, while Kabita Joshi added 11 off 20. The pair shared a 25-run partnership for the seventh wicket, offering brief resistance and keeping Nepal’s hopes alive.
However, regular wickets and mounting pressure prevented Nepal from mounting a serious challenge. They eventually finished at 79/9 in their 20 overs, falling 44 runs short of the target despite receiving 13 extras.
USA’s bowlers delivered a collective performance:
- Maahi Madhavan: 2-0-11-2
- Taranum Chopra: 3-0-14-1
- Aditiba Chudasama: 4-0-13-1
- Ritu Singh: 4-0-14-1
- Sainavi Kambalapalli: 4-0-15-1
Pooja Ganesh was named Player of the Match for her match-defining innings that laid the foundation for USA’s victory.
Strong Start for USA
This comprehensive win highlighted USA Women’s ability to recover from early setbacks and execute with both bat and ball. For Nepal, the lack of partnerships and inability to accelerate under pressure proved decisive in this contest.
