The much-anticipated Asia Cup is starting from today (August 30) and it will see Nepal making its debut in the tournament. Hosts Pakistan will face the debutants in the opening game of the tournament. The Babar Azam-led side is in great form at the moment and are coming off a stunning 3-0 series win over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. Pakistan players have been playing consistently over the last month or so in some or the other T20 league and will be eager to dominate in the Asian tournament.
They are also the number one ODI side in the world at the moment which keeps them in good stead ahead of the game against arch-rivals India on Saturday (September 2). Meanwhile, Nepal are led by Rohit Paudel and they have a good opportunity to impress in the matches against Pakistan and India. A decent show in this tournament will give them a lot of confidence and the players will be looking forward to this tournament. They have a star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in their line-up who has the experience of featuring in the T20 leagues across the world.
Match Details
Match: Asia Cup 2023, Match 1
Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
Time: 3 PM IST
Broadcast and Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Probable Playing XIs
Pakistan (already announced) - Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Nepal - Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (WK), Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel (C), Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi
Pitch and Weather Report
Multan hosted three ODIs between West Indies and Pakistan last year and all the matches witnessed scores over 250. The home team chased down 306 runs in the first game of the series. Moreover, the spinner dominated the proceedings in that series. With the weather also expected to be hot and dry, the spinner will come into play as the match progresses. There is no chance of rain whatsoever.
Predictions
Best Batter of the Match - Fakhar Zaman
If Pakistan bat first, expect them to put up a big score. Fakhar Zaman will open the innings for the hosts and the swashbuckling batter is expected to put pressure on the debutants early in the innings. Once he gets set, it is tough to get Fakhar out. The man likes to play big knocks and it shouldn't be a surprise if he pummels Nepal bowling line-up.
Best Bowler of the Match - Haris Rauf
While all the focus is on Shaheen Afridi, another pacer Haris Rauf often takes all the limelight. Rauf stunned Afghanistan in the first ODI last week picking up a five-wicket haul as well. He could turn out to be too hot for Nepal's batters especially in the middle overs. Expect another starry outing for Rauf.
Who will win the match - Pakistan
