India registered a comfortable and comprehensive win over Nepal in the group-stage encounter in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Rohit Sharma and co. notched up a 10-wicket victory over Nepal and ensured that they qualify for the Super 4 round.
Nepal did give a fight but it wasn’t enough in front of a dominant juggernaut like India. Plus, rain did play a big part in this game at Kandy. The match ended up being a rain-affected game and India had a truncated total to chase.
Having made to chase 145 runs in 23 overs, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma stitched a 147-run partnership to see India home.
In this article, we take a look at the top 3 talking points of the IND vs NEP Asia Cup 2023 game, which took place in Kandy:
1. Rohit Sharma’s fabulous innings
Right at the top, skipper Rohit Sharma proved as to why he is worth the weight in gold in this format. He scored 74* runs in 59 balls and his innings was packed with 6 fours and 5 sixes.
Sharma targeted the bowlers from Nepal with disdain and helped India gun down the total with utmost ease. His innings will infuse a lot of confidence and hope into him ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
2. Ravindra Jadeja’s exceptional spell
Bowling his full quote of 10 overs, Ravindra Jadeja was an epitome of greatness and consistency. He bagged 3 wickets and conceded runs at an economy rate of just 4.00. Jadeja played like a true warrior and ensured that India restrict Nepal to a modest total.
His wickets included Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla. Taking help off the pitch, Jadeja spun a web and bamboozled the batters of Nepal.
3. Aasif Sheikh’s valiant innings
Aasif Sheikh became the first player from Nepal to notch up a fifty against India. It was indeed a proud moment for him as scoring a fifty against a dominant side like India is a big task.
Sheikh scored 58 runs in 97 balls and his innings was peppered with 8 fours. Even though his innings went in vain as India had the final say in the game, he would be extremely proud of his exceptional and fabulous innings in Kandy.
Several former cricketers and cricket pundits hailed Aasif Sheikh as he displayed a lot of grit, determination and spunk in this IND vs NEP game at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
