Match Preview – India vs Nepal, Asia Cup 2023, fifth Match, Group A
Huge image: Rain within the air as soon as once more
Rain ruined the India-Pakistan recreation, the primary in ODI cricket between the 2 groups for the reason that 2019 World Cup, on Saturday in Pallekele. The same rain menace hangs over the India-Nepal recreation on the similar venue on Monday, with probabilities of precipitation as much as 80%. If Monday’s fixture in Pallekele can be washed out, India will be part of their arch-rivals Pakistan within the Tremendous Fours from Group A.Nepal is not going to need to return dwelling with out testing themselves towards India’s superstars. If the climate clears up, this may very well be their greatest match but, with hundreds of thousands tuning into it. Simply two months again, in Colombo, a Rohit Paudel-led Nepal workforce got here up towards an India A workforce full of IPL gamers, and suffered a drubbing.Nepal suffered an identical drubbing by the hands of Babar Azam’s Pakistan on their Asia Cup debut in Multan, however there have been some passages of play the place they confirmed that they may compete with high groups. Like when Karan KC and Sompal Kami operated with self-discipline and goal within the early exchanges. When Paudel swooped in on the ball and nailed a direct hit to run Imam-ul-Haq out. Nevertheless, on the similar time, in addition they botched a lot of probabilities within the area.They can not afford any such clumsy errors – or no workforce for that matter – towards an India facet that’s virtually again to full energy. Shreyas Iyer appeared fluent towards Pakistan earlier than his keep was lower quick by Haris Rauf. Jasprit Bumrah will look to get a strong ODI exercise after rain denied him a crack at Pakistan with the ball. It was Ishan Kishan, who made the largest splash on Saturday, with 82 off 81 balls at No. 5 towards a fearsome tempo assault on a two-paced monitor.
Going into the match as overwhelming favourites, will India give Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma an opportunity earlier than they announce their World Cup squad?
India WLWLL (final 5 accomplished ODIs, most up-to-date first)
Nepal LLWLL
Within the highlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Lalit Rajbanshi
Since his return to the ODI facet in January, Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as India’s premier spinner within the format. Amongst bowlers from Full-Member nations, solely Wanindu Hasaranga, Mark Adair and Maheesh Theekshana have extra wickets than Kuldeep’s 22 in 11 innings in ODI cricket this 12 months. On Monday, Kuldeep can handsomely add to his tally towards an opposition that maybe is not used to going through high-quality left-arm wristspin.Lalit Rajbanshi bowls the much less glamorous number of spin – left-arm fingerspin – and has spent a lot of his profession within the shadow of legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. However he has performed his half in Nepal’s current success along with his defensive expertise. These expertise have been on shiny show towards Pakistan in Multan, the place he strung collectively 33 dots. In a match the place Pakistan rattled up 342, Rajbanshi gave away simply 48 from his ten overs. Earlier, towards West Indies within the ODI World Cup Qualifier in Harare, he even fronted as much as bowl on the demise and removed Rovman Powell, Shai Hope and Keemo Paul.
Workforce information: Will India make any modifications?
Kishan seemingly struggled whereas operating between the wickets towards Pakistan, however he was able to maintain wicket earlier than persistent rain had the ultimate say. India haven’t any motive to make any modifications except they need to throw in Suryakumar or Tilak, who was significantly spectacular in the course of the T20I sequence towards West Indies.
India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Ishan Kishan (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Bhim Sharki is a part of the squad as a reserve batter, however Nepal may stick with the identical XI.
Nepal (possible): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Rohit Paudel (capt), 4 Aarif Sheikh, 5 Sompal Kami, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Kushal Malla, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Lalit Rajbanshi
Pitch and circumstances: All eyes on the skies
The circumstances – each overhead and underfoot – in Pallekele challenged batters on Saturday. There may very well be some juice for the seamers on Monday too, however all eyes will probably be on the skies as soon as once more.
