India vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023: In a high-stakes Asia Cup 2023 encounter, India faced off against Nepal, and it was nothing short of an intense battle filled with twists and turns. The match took an unexpected turn as India’s fielding woes continued, allowing Nepal to reach a formidable 178/6 in 37.5 overs before rain intervened, putting the game on hold in Pallekele on Monday.
From the very start, India’s fielding was far from its best, with missed opportunities plaguing their performance. Stars like Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, and Ishan Kishan faltered, giving Nepal’s openers, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh, a chance to capitalize. The opening pair managed to stitch together an impressive 65-run partnership before Shardul Thakur dismissed Bhurtel for a quickfire 38 off 25 balls.
Ravindra Jadeja then took the reins and led India’s fightback, scalping three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with two crucial dismissals. However, Aasif Sheikh emerged as the standout batter for Nepal, etching his name in history by becoming the first from his country to score a half-century against India. His gritty knock of 58 off 97 balls eventually came to an end when he fell to Siraj in the 30th over.
India made a significant change in their playing XI as Mohammed Shami replaced Jasprit Bumrah, who had to return home for the birth of his first child. With the match hanging in the balance, it was a do-or-die situation for both India and Nepal. A defeat for either team would mean an early exit from the tournament, as Pakistan had already secured their spot in the next round with 3 points. India currently stood second with 1 point, while Nepal was yet to secure any.
The playing XIs for the match were as follows:
Nepal:
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Aasif Sheikh (w)
- Rohit Paudel (c)
- Bhim Sharki
- Sompal Kami
- Gulsan Jha
- Dipendra Singh Airee
- Kushal Malla
- Sandeep Lamichhane
- Karan KC
- Lalit Rajbanshi
India:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ishan Kishan (w)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shardul Thakur
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Mohammed Siraj
India won the toss and chose to field, setting the stage for a thrilling encounter. Rain may have temporarily halted the game, but the excitement and anticipation for the remainder of this crucial match in the Asia Cup 2023 are palpable.
