The Asia Cup 2023 will see its fifth match of the tournament between India and Nepal. India will face Nepal on 4th September at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Rohit Sharma is the skipper of India, while Rohit Paudel is the captain of Nepal.
Nepal lost their first game against Pakistan while India’s clash with Pakistan got called off due to rain. So, both teams will look for a win to seal their berth in the ‘Super 4’ stage. Both teams belong to Group A in the points table. Both of these teams played their respective first games against Pakistan.
Also Read: IND vs NEP Dream11 Prediction Today Match: Top Fantasy Picks, Vice Captain and Captain Choices, Match Prediction for India vs Nepal, Match 5, Asia Cup 2023
Here are the top five players to watch out for during the India vs Nepal match:
1) Ishan Kishan
KL Rahul’s absence in the Pakistan match paved the way for Ishan Kishan to assume the role of wicketkeeper. Remarkably, Ishan seized this opportunity with great aplomb, amassing an impressive 82 runs from 81 deliveries. His innings comprised an array of nine boundaries and two towering sixes.
Initially, Ishan exhibited remarkable composure, particularly when Pakistan’s pacers were in peak form. However, as the innings unfolded, this talented batter began to unleash his formidable repertoire of big shots. Fans eagerly anticipate more of his remarkable exploits in the upcoming encounter against Nepal.
2) Virat Kohli
Keep a keen eye on Virat Kohli in the Indian lineup. Kohli initiated his innings against Pakistan with a splendid cover drive, though it turned out to be his solitary scoring shot in that match. Currently, he’s in exceptional form, and his appetite for contributing runs remains insatiable.
As India gears up to face Nepal on Monday, all eyes will be on Virat as he strives to add to his impressive tally. Remarkably, he requires just 98 runs to reach the milestone of 13,000 ODI runs, a feat that would make him the fastest to achieve this remarkable milestone.
3) Sompal Kami
The experienced all-rounder Sompal Kami was one of the brightest finds for Nepal against Pakistan in their first match of the Asia Cup 2023. He picked up two wickets and scored 28 runs in his team’s 238-run defeat in Multan. He will be one to watch out for in today’s IND vs NEP match.
However, in 48 ODIs, Kami has 65 wickets with a best of 5/33 and has scored 506 runs with two fifties and a best of unbeaten 63. His bowling at the start of the innings, along with Karan KC, was good to watch as he got the ball to move around and trouble the Pakistan batters.
4) Hardik Pandya
This star all-rounder played a mature innings when Team India was in all sorts of trouble. After losing four wickets for just 66 runs, Rohit Sharma and his men were looking to get bundled out for a very low total against Pakistan.
But, Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan put up a 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Pandya scored 87 runs off 90 balls, including seven fours and one six. So, it will be interesting to see whether he will be able to show consistency against Nepal or not.
5) Rohit Paudel
In the eagerly awaited clash between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Rohit Paudel emerges as a key player to watch. Though only 20 years old, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has made quite a name for himself. In 53 ODIs so far, Paudel has 1469 runs at an average of 31.25 with one century and eight fifties to his name.
Unfortunately, he scored a duck in the first match against Pakistan and will look to lead his side from the get-go with the bat. His captaincy against Pakistan was laudable as he kept the Men in Green batters quiet for a long time before Nepal lost their grip over the match due to Babar and Iftikhar’s centuries.