The Group A match will take place in Pallekele on Monday, with everyone hoping for a rain-free day in the Sri Lankan city.
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There was robust debate late on Saturday, on social media, YouTube channels and news channels, on who were luckier of the two teams, India or Pakistan, as persistent rain in the second half of their high-octane Asia Cup clash at Pallekele, meant that Pakistan did not even start their chase of 267.
The Asia Cup match between India and Nepal faces rain threat as the Monday weather forecast for Pallekele doesn’t look promising. The weather for Monday evening currently shows ‘100% cloud cover’ with a ‘shower in spots’.
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and his wife Sanjana Ganesan were blessed with a baby boy, confirmed the cricketer while sharing a heart-warming post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
Pakistan have already secured a spot in the ‘Super 4’ stage with three points, resulting from two points with a victory over Nepal and one point from the rain-abandoned match against arch-rivals India. The equation is clear for India, who have one point, and Nepal, who are yet to secure a point. They must secure victory in this match to advance to the Super Four stage. In case of another washout, Indian will go through while Nepal will be eliminated.
“Every generation (of Nepal Cricket) had a dream that one day they will play with big nations…Today their dream is coming true,” the Nepal coach told ANI.
“We have played the League 2 matches and Asia Cup qualifiers matches. We have won those. We will back our strengths against India,” Desai added.
The coach conceded that Nepal’s players may initially be in awe of the superstar Indian players such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, once they step onto the field, they will be fiercely competitive. He emphasized that this presents a valuable opportunity for Nepal to establish its own distinct identity.
Nepal’s all-rounder Gulshan Jha echoed this sentiment, highlighting that Nepal has a unique chance to gain invaluable insights and experience from facing a team of India’s caliber.
“We have an opportunity to learn from India. India is a big team. Every wicket will be priceless for us and we will work hard for it,” said Jha.
“We had dreamt of a day we would play Test teams like India and Pakistan. We will compete hard on the field, though it is a fanboy moment for all of us”, he added.
All-rounder Aarif Sheikh, meanwhile, hopes to net the big fish Virat Kohli.
“I would like to take Virat Kohli’s wicket and want to face every (Indian) bowler,” he said.
“We are playing a big match. We would play it like a knockout match. It is a fanboy moment for us, but we will play hard on the field and continue with our adoration for India off the field. Our players and previous generations have worked very hard for a day like this,” he added.
(With agency inputs)