Sports
ACC Premier Cup 2026: Bahrain Face Malaysia, Kuwait Take On Qatar in Group Clashes
Two Group stage fixtures in the ACC Men's Premier Cup 2026 are scheduled for September 7th, with Malaysia hosting Bahrain at Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, and Kuwait facing Qatar at YSD-UKM Cricket Oval in Bangi.
In the Group A encounter, Malaysia sit third on the points table with one win and two losses, while Bahrain occupy fourth position with an identical record. Virandeep Singh leads Malaysia's run-scoring charts with 175 runs, while Vijay Unni tops the bowling with 6 wickets. Malaysia's most recent match ended in heartbreak, losing a Super Over to Hong Kong. Chasing 209, Malaysia tied the match thanks to contributions from Muhammad Syahadat Ramli (50) and an unbeaten 82 from Virandeep Singh, but Hong Kong's Anshuman Rath struck three consecutive boundaries in the Super Over to seal victory.
For Bahrain, Imran Javed Anwar leads the batting with 77 runs, while Ali Dawood has taken 7 wickets, the most for the side. Bahrain's last outing saw them fall to Saudi Arabia by 17 runs after chasing 221. Despite knocks from Fiaz Ahmed (36) and Yasser Nazir (20), Bahrain fell short, finishing on 204 for 8.
At Bayuemas Oval, the average first innings total in men's ODIs stands at 216, with the second innings average at 218. Predictions favor Malaysia to win the toss, but Bahrain are tipped to claim victory, with Ali Dawood expected to be named Player of the Match. Aqeel Wahid and Fiaz Ahmed are the picks for top run-scorers, while Syed Aziz and Dawood are favored as top wicket-takers.
In the Group B fixture, Kuwait currently hold second place with two wins and one loss, while Qatar are fourth with one win and two losses. Bilal Tahir is Kuwait's leading run-scorer with 120 runs, and Muhammad Aqif Farooq has taken 6 wickets. Kuwait's previous match saw them chase down 252 against Oman, winning by 4 wickets thanks to a match-winning 103 from Bilal Tahir and 62 from Mohammad Aslam Nawfer.
Qatar's top performers include Zubair Ali, who has scored 179 runs, and Muhammad Asim, who has claimed 7 wickets. Qatar's last match resulted in an 8-wicket win over Singapore, chasing down 150 with contributions from Zubair Ali (55) and Zeeshan Haider (42), completing the chase in the 29th over.
At YSD-UKM Cricket Oval, the average first innings total in men's ODIs is 211, while the second innings average drops to 139. Kuwait are predicted to win both the toss and the match, with wicketkeeper-batter Meet Bhavsar tipped for Player of the Match honors. Imal Liyanage and Bhavsar are expected to top the run charts, while Muhammad Asim and Mohamed Shafeeq are predicted to lead the wicket-taking column.
Both matches will be available for live streaming, subject to regional restrictions.