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Skipper Rohit Sharma and his opening partner Shubman Gill scored half-centuries to lead India to a 10-wicket win by DLS method in a rain-interrupted encounter over minnows Nepal at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. India achieved the revised target with 17 balls to spare. India progressed to Super Fours stage of Asia Cup 2023 with three points. India will now face Pakistan on September 10 in the Super Fours clash.
Rain interrupts the run chase
In the run chase, Sharma was troubled by Karan KC in the first over with a few inswingers. Gill timed the ball well right from the start. He hit three fours in the first over he faced. Rohit got off the mark with a boundary off the first ball of the third over. Rain played spoilsport and caused an interruption of more than one hour and 30 minutes.
Rohit, Gill finish it off
When the play resumed, India were set a target of 145 runs from 23 overs, as per the DLS method. Rohit dealt mostly in boundaries. In the seventh over, he hit Sandeep Lamichhane for the first six of the innings. In Lamichhane's next over, Gill went down the track and hit the ball for a massive six. Rohit went on a six-hitting spree and employed the sweep shot well. He reached his half-century from 39 balls. In the 16th over, Gill reached his half-century from 47 balls. The run chase came to an end in the 21st over. Rohit scored 74 runs from 59 balls including six fours and five sixes whereas Gill's 61-ball 63 included seven fours and one six.
Sloppy fielding
Earlier, Sharma won the toss and opted to field first. In the first over, Shreyas Iyer dropped an easy catch of Kushal Bhurtel at first slip off Mohammed Shami's bowling. In the next over, Mohammed Siraj lured Aasif Sheikh into a drive but Kohli put down a sitter. Shami created another chance in the fifth over. Bhurtel went for a pull shot but managed to get a glove on it. Ishan Kishan dropped a regulation catch as Bhurtel got another reprieve.
Thakur breaks partnership
Bhurtel took the attacking approach and used the fielding restrictions well. In the 10th over, Shardul Thakur was introduced into the attack. Bhurtel hit a six off Thakur but edged one to Kishan next ball. He scored 38 runs from 25 balls including three fours and two sixes. After a few quiet overs, Bhim Sharki got bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. Skipper Rohit Paudel edged one to first slip fielder Rohit and got out for a single-digit score. Jadeja got his third wicket in the form of Kushal Malla.
Sheikh’s patient knock ends
Sheikh got to his half-century from 88 balls in the 28th over. Siraj came back into the attack and got the wicket of Sheikh as Kohli made up for the dropped catch. He scored 58 runs from 97 balls including eight fours. In his next over, Siraj got the wicket of Gulsan Jha who scored 23 runs from 35 balls. After a rain interruption, Hardik Pandya got Dipendra Singh out lbw with a slower one. Dipendra contributed with 29 runs from 25 balls.
Kami misses fifty
Sompal Kami looked to score quickly. Shami was brought back into the attack and he got rid of Kami with a short delivery. He scored 48 runs from 56 balls. In the same over, Sandeep Lamichhane was run out. In the penultimate over, Lalit Rajbanshi got out clean bowled as Nepal were bowled out for 230 from 48.2 overs.
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