Huge image: Rain within the air as soon as once more
Rain ruined the India-Pakistan recreation, the primary in ODI cricket between the 2 groups because the 2019 World Cup, on Saturday
in Pallekele. The same rain menace hangs over the India-Nepal recreation on the identical venue on Monday, with probabilities of precipitation as much as 80%. If Monday’s fixture in Pallekele can be washed out, India will be a part of their arch-rivals Pakistan within the Tremendous Fours from Group A.
Nepal is not going to need to return dwelling with out testing themselves in opposition to India’s superstars. If the climate clears up, this may very well be their largest match but, with tens of millions tuning into it. Simply two months again, in Colombo, a Rohit Paudel-led Nepal group got here up
in opposition to an India A group crammed with IPL gamers, and suffered a drubbing.
Nepal suffered an analogous drubbing by the hands of Babar Azam’s Pakistan on their Asia Cup debut
in Multan, however there have been some passages of play the place they confirmed that they might compete with prime groups. Like when Karan KC and Sompal Kami operated with self-discipline and goal within the early exchanges. When Paudel swooped in on the ball and nailed a direct hit to run Imam-ul-Haq out. Nonetheless, on the identical time, additionally they botched a variety of probabilities within the area.
They can not afford any such clumsy errors – or no group for that matter – in opposition to an India facet that’s nearly again to full power. Shreyas Iyer appeared fluent in opposition to Pakistan earlier than his keep was minimize quick by Haris Rauf. Jasprit Bumrah will look to get a strong ODI exercise after rain denied him a crack at Pakistan with the ball. It was Ishan Kishan, who made the
largest splash on Saturday, with 82 off 81 balls at No. 5 in opposition to a fearsome tempo assault on a two-paced observe.
Going into the match as overwhelming favourites, will India give Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma an opportunity earlier than they announce their World Cup squad?
India WLWLL (final 5 accomplished ODIs, most up-to-date first)
Nepal LLWLL
Within the highlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Lalit Rajbanshi
Since his return to the ODI facet in January,
Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as India’s premier spinner within the format. Amongst bowlers from Full-Member nations, solely Wanindu Hasaranga, Mark Adair and Maheesh Theekshana have extra wickets than Kuldeep’s 22 in 11 innings in ODI cricket
this 12 months. On Monday, Kuldeep can handsomely add to his tally in opposition to an opposition that maybe is not used to going through high-quality left-arm wristspin.
Lalit Rajbanshi bowls the much less glamorous number of spin – left-arm fingerspin – and has spent a lot of his profession within the shadow of legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. However he has performed his half in Nepal’s current success together with his defensive expertise. These expertise have been on brilliant show in opposition to Pakistan in Multan, the place he strung collectively 33 dots. In a match the place Pakistan rattled up 342, Rajbanshi gave away simply 48 from his ten overs. Earlier, in opposition to West Indies within the ODI World Cup Qualifier
in Harare, he even fronted as much as bowl on the demise and removed Rovman Powell, Shai Hope and Keemo Paul.
Workforce information: Will India make any adjustments?
Kishan seemingly struggled whereas operating between the wickets in opposition to Pakistan, however he was able to hold wicket earlier than persistent rain had the ultimate say. India don’t have any motive to make any adjustments until they need to throw in Suryakumar or Tilak, who was notably spectacular through the T20I sequence in opposition to West Indies.
India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Ishan Kishan (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Bhim Sharki is a part of the squad as a reserve batter, however Nepal would possibly follow the identical XI.
Nepal (possible): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Rohit Paudel (capt), 4 Aarif Sheikh, 5 Sompal Kami, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Kushal Malla, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Lalit Rajbanshi
Pitch and situations: All eyes on the skies
The situations – each overhead and underfoot – in Pallekele challenged batters on Saturday. There may very well be some juice for the seamers on Monday too, however all eyes might be on the skies as soon as once more.
Stats and trivia: Nepla’s first outing vs India
