Team India confirmed its place in the Super Four stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 on Monday, September 4. They defeated Nepal by 10 wickets (via DLS method) to finish second behind Pakistan in Group A. The Men in Blue didn’t get off to a good start in the game after electing to field first. He squandered three chances in the first few overs, giving Nepal a good start.
However, they came back into the game after Rohit Sharma brought spin into the attack. India eventually restricted Nepal to 230 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj taking three wickets each. In reply, the batsmen got off to a good start before the skies opened up. Play eventually resumed at 10.15 pm IST with a revised target of 145 runs in 23 overs. Rohit made 74* runs in 59 balls and Shubman Gill made 67* runs in 62 balls completing the job with 17 balls to spare and 10 wickets in hand.
With the group stage of the Asia Cup 2023 done and dusted, the focus for the Men in Blue will turn to the Super Four. They will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their first Super Four game on Sunday, 10 September. Both teams faced each other in the Group A match on Saturday. The Men in Green got off to a flying start, restricting Rohit & Co to 66-4 inside 15 overs. However, Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan scored half-centuries to take the Men in Blue to a decent total.
At the halfway stage it looked like the game was headed for a thrilling finish when it started raining. No further play was possible and the game was eventually called off. Both teams went home with one point each.
Jasprit Bumrah And KL Rahul Available For India’s Next Game
Team India will be in full swing for the first Super Four match on Sunday. KL Rahul, who missed the first two matches due to injury, has fully recovered and will be available for selection. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah missed the match against Nepal. He went back to the country to be with his wife, who gave birth to a boy on Monday morning. Both players are expected to rejoin the team in a few days to start preparations for the next phase of Asia Cup 2023.
