3 big positives for Nepal from their Asia Cup 2023 campaign

How good was the campaign from Nepal, an associate member of Cricket Governing Body? Their debut Asia Cup got off to a brilliant start as they stunned Pakistan with a couple of early blows in the tournament opener. Before the match-winning partnership between Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed swung the match in Pakistan’s favor, the Men in Green was in a state of bother as they lost three of their top-order batters inside 25 overs.

Despite losing the match by a whopping 238 runs, the fighting spirit was not given up by Nepal players. When everyone expected the match against India to be purely one-sided, Nepal put up a brilliant performance to surprise everyone. Although India won by 10 wickets in a rain-curtailed encounter, Nepal batters were impressive, scoring 230 runs in 48.2 overs.

In this article, we look at three big positives for Nepal from their Asia Cup 2023 campaign.

3. Great recovery after their middle-order collapse

After being put into bat first, the Nepal openers got off to a decent start with a partnership of 65 runs in 10 overs. Kushal Bhurtel departed after scoring 38 off 25 balls, while Aasif Sheikh returned after registering a half-century (58 off 97). However, their middle-order batters failed to find any resistance, leaving the team in dire straits. Just when it looked like they would be bowled out for less than 160, a brilliant fightback by their lower middle order took the team total to 230. Sompal Kami, Nepal’s No. 8 batter, scored 48 of 56 in the process.

2. Impressive batting performance against a strong Indian bowling attack

The Nepal batting unit succumbed to Pakistan in the opening match as they were bowled out for a paltry score of 104 in 23.4 overs. When India sent Nepal to bat first in their second match, everyone expected a similar scenario. However, they surprised everyone with an impressive performance although there was some help from the Indian fielders. Nepal scored 230 runs in 48.2 overs against a quality bowling line-up that consisted of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.

1. Got a chance to play against giants like India and Pakistan

It’s not often that an associate nation gets the chance to play against world-class teams like India and Pakistan. Being represented in a major tournament like the Asia Cup and facing off against cricketing giants like India (the most successful team in continental history) and Pakistan (two-time Asian champions) is a huge recognition for Nepal as they will be noticed in world cricket. This will definitely boost their confidence in their cricketing journey.