Top 3 talking points from India vs Nepal encounter in the Asia Cup 2023

Nepal’s maiden Asia Cup journey came to an end after a 10-wicket defeat against India in the group match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday, September 4. Being an associate member of the Cricket Governing Body, Nepal staged an impressive performance against one of the powerhouses in the sport, especially after getting thrashed by Pakistan in their opening match.

Aiming to warm up his bowlers ahead of the Super Fours, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bowl first. Everyone expected Nepal’s innings to end soon, but to everyone’s surprise, the minnows posted a respectable score of 230 in 48.2 overs although there was some serious help from the Indian fielders. Rain played spoilsport during India’s chase and the target was reduced to 145 in 23 overs. Rohit and Shubman Gill comfortably chased down the target in 20.1 overs and booked their ticket to the next round. 

In this article, we examine three talking points from the IND vs NEP clash in the 2023 Asia Cup

1. Rohit-Gill opening partnership 

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have been India’s opening combination in the 50-over format for the past few years. The duo once again displayed a dominant performance as they chased down a target of 145 in 20.1 overs. It was India’s third-highest opening partnership in Asia Cup (ODIs) and the fourth-highest opening partnership for the Men in Blue in 10-wicket wins. Rohit (74 off 59 balls) completed his half-century in just 39 balls while Gill (67 off 52 balls) got to his in 47 deliveries.

2. Nepal giving a tough fight  

As mentioned in the introduction, no one expected Nepal to last 48 overs against a quality bowling line-up that included Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. After a crucial opening partnership, the Nepal middle-order batters were dismissed cheaply but their lower middle order fought back to take them to a respectable total of 230. Opener Aasif Sheikh registered a brilliant  half-century while their No. 8 batter Sompal Kami scored 48 off just 56 balls to frustrate the Indian bowlers.

3. India’s poor efforts on the field 

No one could believe what Indian players were doing on the field at the start of the game. Shreyas Iyer dropped an easy catch at first slip, then Virat Kohli dropped a sitter at short cover and Ishan Kishan missed the ball completely behind the stumps. These lifelines helped Nepal openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh settle down at the crease as they put on 65 runs for the first wicket. There were also some utterly disappointing misfields as well from the Men in Blue in an important tournament.