Kuwait have picked up a surprise win over Nepal in the final of a men's T20I quad-series in Hong Kong, with the hosts and Qatar also involved.

Nepal topped the table after the round-robin stage with two wins and a no-result against Hong Kong. Kuwait were second having lost only to Nepal, with hosts Hong Kong third and Qatar last with three losses from their three games.

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel won the toss and asked his opponents to bat first at the Mission Road ground in Mong Kok. Ravija Sandaruwan top scored for Kuwait with 63 from just 36 balls as Kuwait reached 174-7 from their 20 overs.

Nepal's run chase started badly as they lost their first four wickets for just 28 runs, with 21 of those coming from Aasif Sheikh. Rohit Paudel and Basir Ahamad added another 26 before Paudel was out for 7, but the wickets kept coming and Nepal found themselves on 92-8.

It then looked like Nepal were going to pull off one of their famous come from behind victories as Ahamad and Nandan Yadav put on 72 for the ninth wicket before Yadav was out for 37 from 14 balls, leaving Nepal needing 11 from eight balls with one wicket in hand.

Anudeep Chenthamara receives the player of the match award after the final (Cricket Hong Kong)

The 19th over ended with two dots before Ahamad hit the first ball of the last over - a no-ball - for six to leave Nepal needing four runs from six balls. No runs came from the free hit, with the next ball also a dot. Ahamad was finally out from the next ball, his 80 from 43 balls in vain as Nepal had lost by 3 runs.

It wasn't the first time Nepal and Kuwait have had a closely fought T20 match, with Nepal winning by one run in 2011 and a tie - with Nepal winning a bowl out - in 2009. This was the first time Kuwait had beaten Nepal in the T20 format though.

It wasn't the only close match today as in the third place play-off hosts Hong Kong beat Qatar by just one run with Anshy Rath falling just short of his maiden T20I century, scoring 97.