Pakistan vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023: Clash of the Titans on the Cricket Pitch

Pakistan vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023: Date, Time, Playing XI, H2H And How To Watch

Match Details

The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2023 is set to commence on Wednesday with Pakistan taking on Nepal in the opening match in Multan, Pakistan. The Asia Cup 2023 will be hosted in a hybrid model by Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.

The competition will revert to a 50-overs format in this edition after being organized in the T20 version last year. Pakistan heads into this opening fixture after a comprehensive series victory over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. Their 3-0 clean sweep ensures that the ODI World Number 1 side enters this crucial tournament with a positive mindset.

On the other hand, this will be Nepal‘s first-ever appearance in the Asia Cup. They qualified for the 2023 edition of this tournament by winning the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup held in May 2023. In the final against the UAE side, Nepal ended up winning the game convincingly by 7 wickets.

Date and Time

The Pakistan vs Nepal match is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30. The match will start at 3:30 PM IST.

Head-to-Head Record

Pakistan and Nepal have never faced each other in an international match until now. The Asia Cup 2023 fixture will mark the first meeting between these countries.

Playing XI

A day before the start of their match against Nepal, the Pakistan side named their playing XI for the Asia Cup opener:

Pakistan XI: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

The track at Multan has historically favored the spinners more than the pacers, hence Pakistan has gone ahead with a spin-trio of Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Salman Agha. Nepal has not yet declared their playing XI and might do so during the toss itself.

Where To Watch

Fans can tune in to Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu & Star Sports 1 Kannada TV channels in India to catch all the live action of the Pakistan vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023 match. The match will also be live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

Build-up and Expectations

Prior to the start of this match, Pakistan captain Babar Azam shared his excitement over the commencement of the competition and congratulated Nepal for their first-ever appearance in the Asia Cup tournament. He expressed that playing in front of the passionate Multan crowd always gives a great feeling and he hopes that Nepal‘s participation will boost the development of the sport in the country. He looks forward to a good contest against Nepal.

Nepal cricket captain Rohit Paudel took to Twitter to express his pride in leading the nation into their first-ever Asia Cup. He emphasized the challenges, dreams, and passion that come with representing the nation on the field. During a pre-match conference, he expressed their aim to give a competitive game to Pakistan and India, as they deserve to be in the tournament.

Conclusion

The Pakistan vs Nepal match in the Asia Cup 2023 is highly anticipated as it marks Nepal‘s debut in this prestigious tournament. Both teams have talented players who will be eager to make an impact. It will be interesting to see how this encounter unfolds and whether Nepal can cause an upset against a strong Pakistani side. Fans can expect an exciting match filled with competitive cricket.