Nepal Suffers Defeat Against India, Exits Asia Cup with a 10-Wicket Loss

In a disappointing turn of events, Nepal has been knocked out of the Asia Cup after suffering a crushing 10-wicket defeat at the hands of India.

The match, which had already been marred by interruptions due to rain, saw India successfully chase down a target of 145 runs in just 20.1 overs without losing a single wicket. India’s opener and captain, Rohit Sharma, displayed incredible resilience by remaining not out at 74, while Shubman Gill contributed 67 runs to the victory.

Nepal had a challenging start after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. They managed to post a total of 230 runs but lost all their wickets in 48.2 overs. Aasif Sheikh stood out with a half-century, falling just 2 runs short of the milestone.

The opening partnership of Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh provided some hope for Nepal, as they put up 65 runs on the board. However, India’s fielding woes, with three dropped catches, helped Nepal in their initial momentum.

It took until the last ball of the power play for India to claim their first wicket when Shardul Thakur dismissed Bhurtel, who had shown tremendous grit against formidable Indian bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Hardik Pandey. Bhurtel’s innings included two sixes and three fours.

Unfortunately, after the partnership was broken, Nepal suffered a series of quick dismissals, with Bhim Sarki, Rohit Kumar Poudel, and Kushal Malla falling cheaply, leaving Nepal at 101/4.

However, Nepal managed to stage a partial recovery. Gulsan Jha, batting at number six, contributed with a 31-run partnership alongside Aasif Sheikh, who went on to score a half-century in 88 balls. Aasif was eventually dismissed in the 30th over, having scored the highest for Nepal with 58 runs. Jha, who added 12 more runs, was also dismissed for 23.

Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airi tried to rebuild Nepal’s innings, sharing a 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Airey was dismissed for 29 runs, and Sompal Kami came agonizingly close to a half-century, falling just 2 runs short. He faced 56 balls and contributed 48 runs, including one four and two sixes.

Nepal aimed to bat the full 50 overs, but their innings came to an end when Sandeep Lamichhane was run out, followed by Lalit Rajbanshi being clean bowled. Nepal concluded their innings with a total of 230 runs in 48.2 overs.

India’s bowlers played a crucial role in restricting Nepal, with Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja both taking three wickets each, while Mohammad Shami, Hardik Pandey, and Shardul Thakur claimed one wicket each.

Nepal’s journey in the Asia Cup started on a tough note, as they had previously lost their opening match against Pakistan.