Ashish Ranjan
Nepal qualified for the Upcoming Asia Cup, which is scheduled to commence on August 30 in Multan. The selectors have already announced a 17-member squad that will shortly travel to Pakistan to begin preparations. Nepal will be led by Rohit Paudel in their inaugural Asia Cup campaign, so they will be under a great deal of pressure, particularly when facing Pakistan and India in the league stage.
Notably, the team’s performance in the recently concluded Emerging Asia Cup fell short of expectations. They were defeated by Pakistan A and India A, but defeated the United Arab Emirates. Their performance in the ODI World Cup qualifiers was also very dismal, so there is currently a great deal of room for improvement.
Notably, spin aces Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi will be crucial to Nepal’s success in the competition. Lamichhane has played a great deal of franchise cricket around the world, and as a result, he possesses valuable experience. He has played in 49 matches for the national team, accumulating 111 wickets in the process. Consequently, in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where the ball typically spins, he could be crucial in the forthcoming 2023 Asia Cup.
Nepal will rely on the dynamic tandem of Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh when it comes to batting. Rohit, the team’s captain, will be essential as well. The 20-year-old has featured in 52 ODIs for the national team, scoring a total of 1,469 runs. All-rounders Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, and Pratis G will be crucial to the team’s success in the premier tournament. Overall, despite their lack of experience, the team possesses the necessary arsenal.
Nepal squad for Asia Cup 2023 –Rohit Paudel (c), Asif Sheikh, Kusal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, D.S. Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Arif Sheikh, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Kishor Mahato, Sundeep Jora, Arjun Saud, Shyam Dhakal
