The Nepal Cricket Board has revealed its 15-player roster for the imminent Asian Games 2023 in China, following a challenging Asia Cup journey. The team aspires to carry forward their winning momentum from the ODI World Qualifier into the continental competition. Notably, the Asian Games 2023 will commence from September 23 and will concluded on October 8 at Hangzhou, China.
In the recently concluded Asia Cup, Nepal found themselves bracketed in the formidable Group A, sharing space with cricket powerhouses India and Pakistan. Despite their passionate efforts, they could not progress beyond the initial stages, having lost their first two matches to these cricketing giants. Consequently, Nepal couldn't advance to the Super Fours stage of the event.
Recalling their Asia Cup journey, Nepal's inaugural match against Pakistan proved to be a daunting challenge. Pakistan set a mammoth target of 343 runs, largely thanks to Babar Azam's stellar 151-run performance from 131 deliveries and Iftikhar Ahmed's rapid 109 from 71 balls. In response, the Nepal side struggled against the dominant Pakistani bowling, particularly Shadab Khan, and couldn't meet the steep target.
Against India, Nepal faced a similar outcome, losing by a significant margin of 10 wickets. Despite putting up a decent score of 231 in the first innings, bolstered by Aasif Sheikh's 58 and Sompal Kami's 48, the Indian bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja, managed to restrict and dismiss the Nepali batsmen efficiently.
Nepal's squad for Asian Games 2023:
Rohit Paudel (C), Karan KC, Pratis GC, Aasif Sheikh (Wk), Kushal Malla, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Sundeep Jora, Binod Bhandari, Kushal Bhurtel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bibek Kumar Yadav, Abhinash Bohara, and Sandeep Lamichhane.
While their Asia Cup expedition was challenging, Nepal showcased formidable form against the United Arab Emirates in the ODI World Qualifier's 26th match, securing a win by three wickets. With this buoyed spirit, the team is gearing up to make a mark and possibly clinch gold at the Asian Games 2023.
Their campaign in China begins with a face-off against Mongolia on September 27th at the ZJUT Cricket Field, Hangzhou. It remains to be seen how Nepal channels their past experiences and current form into the forthcoming games.
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