Asia Cup 2023: Nepal announce 17-member squad, Rohit Paudel named captain

Nepal Cricket Team (Photo Source: Nepalkhabar/Twitter)

Despite all the odds, Nepal qualified for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is slated to begin on August 30, in Multan. Ahead of that, the selectors have announced a 17-member squad that will soon travel to Pakistan to start their preparation. Meanwhile, Rohit Paudel will be leading Nepal in their first-ever Asia Cup campaign and thus, there will be a lot of pressure on them, especially facing the likes of Pakistan and India in the league stage.

Notably, in the recently concluded Emerging Asia Cup, the team couldn’t perform as per expectations. They lost to Pakistan A and India A but managed to pick up a win against the United Arab Emirates. Their performance in the ODI World Cup qualifiers too was very poor and thus, there’s a lot of room for improvement at the moment.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the final squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.

The Nepal team will go through a week-long preparation camp in Pakistan, where the team will train and play matches against PCB-designated teams. pic.twitter.com/yWt4ZDyogx

— CAN (@CricketNep) August 14, 2023

Notably, spin maestros Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi will be extremely important for Nepal in the tournament. Lamichhane especially has played a lot of franchise cricket all across the globe and hence has the experience, which can come in handy. He has represented the national team in 49 matches and has picked up 111 wickets in the process. Thus, in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where the ball usually turns, he can prove to be critical in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.

When it comes to batting, Nepal will rely on the dynamic duo of Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh. Skipper Rohit too will be essential for the team. The 20-year-old has played 52 ODIs for the national team and has scored 1469 runs in the process. On the other hand, all-rounders Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, and Pratis G will be key for the side in the mega tournament. Overall, even though they lack experience, the team has the much-needed firepower that’s required.

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