KATHMANDU, Sept 5: Unbeaten half centuries from skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill helped India register a convincing 10-wicket victory over minnows Nepal in the rain-delayed Asia Cup match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka on Monday.
The match was interrupted twice by rainfall and the India innings was revised to 23 overs under the Duckworth –Lewis method.
Chasing a victory target of 231 runs set by Nepal, India achieved the revised target of 147 runs in 20.1 overs with 17 balls to spare without losing any wicket.
Earlier, Nepal had posted a total of 230 runs in 48.2 overs playing its only second international match and first against India in Pallekele cricket stadium. Nepal were all out with 10 balls to spare.
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Put into bat first after losing the toss, Nepal started well scoring briskly to post 65 runs for the first wicket, before Kushal Burtel was out in the penultimate ball of the 10th over. Since then, Bhim Sarki, Captain Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla went out cheaply, with none of them reaching double digits.
Aasif Sheikh scored 58 runs in 97 balls being before out caught to Mohammad Siraj. Gulshan Jha scored 23 runs in 35 balls.
Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami steadied the innings down the order, putting up a 50-run partnership in 55 balls for the 7th wicket. Sompal missed on a deserved half century, out caught behind to Mohammad Sami, scoring 48 runs in 56 balls, including 2 sixes. Airee contributed 29 runs in 25 balls.
For India, Rabindra Jadeja took 3 wickets while Mohammad Siraj took 2 wickets and Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Sami and Hardik Pandya took 1 wicket each.
This is the second match that Nepal is playing in the Asia Cup 2023. In the first match held in Multan, Pakistan, Nepal lost to the hosts by 238 runs.
This is the first ever one-day international match between neighbours Nepal and India, and only second international match that Nepal is playing in its ODI history.
The 50-over tournament is a tune-up for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India but rain has played a spoiling role, forcing organisers to discuss a venue change for upcoming matches in Colombo.
India's opening match against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain after one innings. A win or a washout against Nepal would qualify the Asian giants for the Super Four stage.
(With inputs from RSS and AFP)
