Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) bid farewell to the Nepalese national cricket team today as they prepare to embark on a tour to Sri Lanka. The team, scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka via India at 2 pm today, will be participating in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023.
Nepal will play its first match against Pakistan A on July 14 at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground. They will then face India A on July 17 and the United Arab Emirates A on July 19.
The farewell ceremony, held in Kathmandu, was attended by Youth and Sports Minister Dig Bahadur Limbu and CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand. They extended their best wishes to the players and expressed confidence in their abilities to perform well in the upcoming tournament.
The Nepali team comprises talented individuals including Rohit Paudel, Asif Sheikh, Arjun Saud, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Pawan Sarraf, Dev Khanal, Gulsan Jha, and Sompal Kami. Joining them in the competition are Bhim Sarki, Shyam Dhakal, Pratish GC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato, Sundeep Jora, and Surya Tamang.
Off-spin all-rounder Pawan Sarraf will replace Aarif Sheikh, who has withdrawn from the team for personal reasons.
It should be noted that Gyanendra Malla and Karan KC will not be part of the team as they have been rested for this tour. Similarly, Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airey will not be representing the national team due to their participation in the Global T20 event in Canada.
The full squad is as follows:
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Aasif Sheikh ( wk )
- Arjun Saud ( wk )
- Rohit Paudel (captain)
- Kushal Malla
- Pawan Sarraf
- Dev Khanal
- Gulsan Jha
- Sompal Kami
- Bhim Sharki
- Shyam Dhakal
- Pratish GC
- Lalit Rajbanshi
- Kishore Mahato
- Sundeep Jora
- Surya Tamang
The highly-anticipated ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023, the fifth edition of the tournament, will be held across various venues in Sri Lanka from July 14th to July 23rd. Nepal’s campaign kicks off on July 14th with a match against Pakistan A at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground, Colombo. Subsequently, they will face India A on July 17th at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Lastly, on July 19th, Nepal will take on the United Arab Emirates A team at the P Sara Oval in Colombo.
