India vs Nepal, 5th Match, Group A
India won by 10 wkts (DLS Method – due to rain)
IND – 147/0
Extras 6
(nb 0, b 0, penalty 0, w 5, lb 1)
Total 147
(20.1 ovrs, 0 Wkts) RR 7.29
Bowling
NEP – 230/10
Extras 9
(nb 0, b 0, penalty 0, w 3, lb 6)
Total 230
(48.2 ovrs, 10 Wkts) RR 4.76
Bowling
Fall Of Wickets
When: India vs Nepal, September 4, 15:00 Local Time
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
Team News:
India Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Nepal Probable XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Aarif Sheikh, Sompal Kami, Gulsan Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan Chhetri, Lalit Rajbanshi
Squads:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma
Nepal Squad: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Aarif Sheikh, Sompal Kami, Gulsan Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Kishore Mahato, Sundeep Jora, Pratis GC, Arjun Saud, Mousom Dhakal
India and Nepal will face each other for the first time in the Asia Cup 2023 on Monday, September 4, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The match is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM local time (9:00 AM IST).
India, the seven-time champions of the tournament, are looking to secure their spot in the Super Four stage after their opening match against Pakistan was washed out due to rain. India have one point from that game, while Pakistan have three points from two matches. India will hope to get some game time and test their batting and bowling combinations against Nepal, who are making their debut in the Asia Cup.
Nepal, on the other hand, are eager to prove themselves against a formidable opponent like India. Nepal have played two matches so far in the tournament, losing to Pakistan by nine wickets and beating Afghanistan by four wickets. Nepal have shown some promise with their bowling and fielding, but their batting has been inconsistent and vulnerable against quality pace and spin.
The weather forecast for Monday is not very promising, with an 80% chance of rain throughout the day. The pitch at Pallekele has been good for batting, but the overcast conditions and the moisture on the surface could assist the seamers and make batting difficult. The team that wins the toss might opt to bowl first and chase a target.
India have a strong and balanced squad, led by Rohit Sharma, who is in sublime form with the bat. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja form a formidable middle order, while Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj provide a potent bowling attack. India might rest Bumrah for this match and give a chance to Mohammed Shami or Prasidh Krishna.
Nepal have a young and inexperienced squad, led by Rohit Paudel, who is only 20 years old. Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee are the key batsmen for Nepal, while Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi are the main bowlers. Nepal will rely on their spinners to trouble the Indian batsmen and hope for some early breakthroughs with the new ball.
India are the clear favourites for this match, but they cannot afford to take Nepal lightly. Nepal have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this historic encounter. They will try to put up a spirited performance and challenge India in all departments. It will be an interesting contest between two teams with contrasting levels of experience and expectations.