The contest between India and Nepal resembled a classic David vs Goliath battle. Nepal challenged India in more ways than one as they put the sloppy Indian bowling and fielding to the test. Ahead of the match, there was this expectation that it would be a one-sided encounter, especially after Nepal’s lackluster performance against Pakistan earlier in the tournament. In their match against Pakistan, Nepal first conceded 342 runs and were then bowled out for a meager 104.
However, Nepal gave India a run for their money. India were shoddy with their fielding and never really hit their stride with the ball as they allowed Nepal to post a competitive total of 230 runs. Their opening pair put up a solid 65-run partnership before India hit back and reduced them to 144 for 6. However, Nepal’s lower-order batters refused to be blown away and took the team to a respectable total.
Nepal made a promising start with the ball as well. Pacer Karan KC troubled India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, early on, but then Rohit and Gill found their rhythm and remained unbeaten as they guided India to a 10-wicket victory. India had been set a revised target of 145 runs in 23 overs, which they comfortably achieved in the 21st over.
After the match ended, Team India players displayed a heartwarming gesture toward the Nepal team. The players and coach not only shared their experiences with their counterparts from Nepal but also honoured them. Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and coach Rahul Dravid presented medals to Nepali players who had performed well in the match.
Indian players felicitated Nepal players for giving a tough fight.
A superb gesture by India!pic.twitter.com/X9PQmkpfKk
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 5, 2023
India will now once again take on Pakistan in their Super 4 clash on Sunday. Nepal, meanwhile, will go back home but after showing great promise in the tournament. It has been a good year for them – they won a dramatic match over UAE under fading light, which secured their place in the ODI World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for May. Apart from this, they also won the ACC Premier Cup championship in June, earning themselves a coveted spot in the upcoming Asia Cup.