IND vs NEP: India Playing XI vs Nepal, Asia Cup 2023, Group A - Predicted

Team India will face Nepal in their second game of Asia Cup 2023 on Monday in Pallekele.

India are slotted in Group A of the Asia Cup 2023. They started the campaign on Saturday with a game against Pakistan. But that match ended without a result and was called off due to rain. India and Pakistan shared one point each. But it was a tough match for the Indian top-order, which failed badly.

Now they will be up against Nepal in their second group match. This game will take place on September 4 (Monday) at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. This is a must-win match for both teams because a win will help to qualify for the next round. Without a doubt, India are favorites to win. So let's check out the predicted XI for India against Nepal on Monday. In a massive setback for India, premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has flown back to home from Sri Lanka for personal reasons and won't be available for the next game against Nepal.

IND vs NEP: India's Predicted Playing XI vs Nepal

1. Rohit Sharma:

The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, will be hoping to get some runs under his belt. He scored only 11 runs against Pakistan and was outfoxed by Shaheen Afridi. With the tournament entering the Super Four, the Indian captain will be desperate to get some runs. Some runs against Nepal will surely give him confidence.

2. Shubman Gill:

The man who has scored the most international runs so far in 2023 looked pretty rusty against Pakistan. He made a 32-ball 10 runs and looked struggling. But with Nepal as the next opponent, Gill is expected to get some runs. We can expect a big score from Gill, and it might be a big hundred.

3. Virat Kohli:

Virat Kohli started his innings against Pakistan with a glorious cover drive, but that was his only scoring shot in the game. He is in good form and will look to get some game time against Nepal on Monday. Virat needs 98 runs to complete 13,000 ODI runs and become the fastest to do so. So we might see that happen on Monday.

4. Shreyas Iyer:

Shreyas Iyer made his comeback in international cricket after a long break and looked good. He hit two good fours off Haris Rauf but got out playing a shot and made a 9-ball 14. But he will look to score some runs to gain confidence, which will help him in the next round. Iyer is India's designated No. 4 and the team will hope he scores runs.

5. Ishan Kishan (Wk):

Ishan Kishan is currently India's in-form batter in ODIs. He is coming off four consecutive half-centuries and scored an important 82 off 81 balls in the all-important game against Pakistan when the chips were down. It was his innings that helped India reach a decent total. His ability to score quickly in the middle overs makes him an important batter. He will look to add another good score to his tally on Monday.

6. Hardik Pandya:

Hardik Pandya was another reason that India reached over 250 runs against Pakistan in the first game. The all-rounder played with maturity and scored 87 runs for India. He is in great knock and is expected to do well against Nepal. But India will hope he can chip in with some wickets as well with the ball, as the conditions in Pallekele will favor him.

7. Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja has become a dependable player for India across formats and has established himself as a genuine all-rounder at No. 6 or 7. His batting has improved over the years, and bowling has always been his best skill. Jadeja will look to use the conditions offered in Pallekele to grab some wickets.

8. Kuldeep Yadav:

We might see Shardul Thakur getting dropped against Nepal because India don't need a long batting line-up against them. It means Kuldeep will be one position higher. He will be the key for the Indian bowling attack in the middle overs, and it will be hard for the Nepal team to pick him with the variations he has in his arsenal.

9. Prasidh Krishna:

Jasprit Bumrah has returned home due to personal reasons, and he will not be available for the clash against Nepal. It will give India a chance to test another pacer. Prasidh Krishna will be the one who might get an edge in this situation. He has taken 25 wickets in 14 ODIs so far, and India will look to give him some game time so that he can be available for the Super Four if required.

10. Mohammed Shami:

Mohammed Shami is expected to be back in the squad. He will be India's opening bowler and is expected to use the conditions and take wickets. India will try out him and give him some match time. Shami ability to swing and seam will make him a difficult prospect to handle on Monday. 

11. Mohammed Siraj:

India picked Mohammed Siraj over Mohammed Shami, which shows that they trust him a lot. And why not? He is the top-ranked Indian ODI bowler. Siraj has a knack for taking wickets with new balls, and that's what India will look for on Monday. He has been doing well in the last year or so and will look to make an impact right away.