Nepal and India are locking horns in Kandy for the final group stage game of Group A in Asia Cup 2023. As such, ahead of the game, Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel spoke at length previewing the key fixture. “We are excited to play against India. India is a big country. We are all excited to represent Nepal against India on the biggest stage. Today is the biggest day for Nepal cricket”, Paudel said ahead of the game.
Interestingly, he was asked about the influence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He responded, “Virat and Rohit have been the stars of their country for over ten years. We have made plans to tackle them and hopefully, we will execute them tomorrow. Virat is an inspiration for all of us, not only for his work ethic but also his discipline, on and off the field.”
‘Our players have been working really hard for two or three years’ – Rohit Paudel
“Our players have been working really hard for two or three years. That is why we are here. For the last two or three generations, our seniors tried a lot (for big opportunities), and we got this opportunity to play. We want to represent them in the match. But on the field, it will be a game that both of us will be wanting to win,” he added, speaking on the clash. Interestingly, Nepal lost the first game, the tournament opener in Multan against Pakistan by a hefty margin of 238 runs.
Also Check : Asia Cup 2023: India’s Schedule and Everything You Need to Know
Here are the squads for both teams:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).
Nepal Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud.
Here’s how fans reacted:
means match against pakistan in pakistan was nothing! ?
— Dr. Maulik Modi (@iamthemaulik) September 4, 2023
They look so happy playing against India. ?
— ????.??????? (@kohlifangirl178) September 4, 2023
Mujhe aisa kyu lag raha hai aaj India haaregi ?
— ? (@Alreadysad__) September 4, 2023
Owend Pakistan cricket team ?
— TROLL PAKISTAN CRICKET (@trollpakistanii) September 4, 2023
— Naks..! (@oyenakss) September 4, 2023
Nobody cares about tinpot paxtaan ??
— Groot ? (@IAmGroootX18) September 4, 2023
Yes, great day for Nepal cricket ???
— Saumya Tripathi (@SanskariSaumyat) September 4, 2023
Full support to Nepal Team ??
— MAHIYANK™ (@Mahiyank_78) September 4, 2023
