Schools given holiday in Nepal on account of their first ever men's Asia Cup match today – Reports

Nepal won a 10-teams qualifier in April-May to qualify for Asia Cup 2023.

Nepal made their Asia Cup debut against Pakistan in the tournament, which got underway on August 30, 2023, in Multan. The tournament will feature 13 games in all, with Pakistan hosting four matches and Sri Lanka hosting the rest, including the finals.

Pakistan will host one game in Multan, two other group games, and one super four encounter in Lahore. India will play all of their games in Sri Lanka, including the finals, if they qualify for the same.

Before the first match of the tournament, Multan Cricket Stadium will also witnessed an extravagant opening ceremony. The event was set to showcase electrifying performances, headlined by the talented Pakistani vocalist Aima Baig and Nepal’s very own Trishala Gurung, both of whom set the stage on fire.

Some schools in Nepal have given holiday as cricket fever grips the country on Asia Cup debut

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and chose to bat first against Nepal. This is the first big tournament Nepal are playing in, and they are in group A with Pakistan and India. After facing Pakistan, Nepal will clash with India on September 4 in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Nepal have been an impressive unit, and their presence in the tournament is a testament to their consistent performances. They qualified for this main tournament by winning the 10-teams ACC Men’s Premier Cup in April and May.

As per ESPNCricinfo reports, a Nepali user, Arjun Pokhrel, revealed in the commentary comments that there has been a holiday announced in schools in Nepal so that young fans could watch their cricket team debut in Asia Cup and that the country is gripped by cricket fever.

Rohit Paudel captained the Nepal side, which features star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and talents like Gulshan Jha, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, and Lalit Rajbanshi, amongst others.

Meanwhile, Nepal fans also took to social media platform X to share their elation over the team’s first match on a big stage.

Here are some reactions:

हाम्रै पालामा ईन्डिया पाकिस्तान सङ नेपालले क्रीकेट खेलेको हेर्ने रहर आज पूरा हुँदै छ।।Must awaited game between Nepal and PakistanOpening game Nep🇳🇵 Vs Pak🇵🇰जय नेपाल्🇳🇵❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/OZEdsPQQGa

— श्रीराम पौडेल (@JcPoudel) August 30, 2023

Congrat 🇳🇵 on their first outing in the Asia Cup 2023! 🎉🏏 Wishing our team all the best 🤞🇳🇵 !#AsiaCup2023 #PAKvsNEP #NepalvsPAK @CricketNep @TheRealPCB

— Yogi (@khadka_yogi) August 30, 2023

HISTORIC SCENES for Nepal cricket 🙌 First Asia Cup appearance ✅ First ODI against Pakistan ✅First wicket against Pakistan ✅#AsiaCup2023 #PAKvNEP LIVE 👉 https://t.co/eh4HEwX9wy pic.twitter.com/raUXs4VELZ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 30, 2023

Nepal fans have gathered in good numbers in Multan. The change in Asian cricket landscape will be visible from here.#PAKvsNEP #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/6NbFLoOrlL

— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) August 30, 2023

Team Nepal Will Be Playing with Pakistan For The Asia Cup on opening day ! – All The Best 👏#AsiaCup23 #NepalvsPAK pic.twitter.com/ucIjnwUg9B

— Reeta Pariyar (@ReetaPearl) August 29, 2023

Congratulations to 🇳🇵 on their first outing in the Asia Cup 2023! 🎉🏏 Wishing the team all the best as they compete against the best in the continent. Savour the Moment🇳🇵 !#AsiaCup2023 #PAKvsNEP #NepalvsPAK pic.twitter.com/HtxBuWfFrj

— Zubair Shakeel Wani (@ZubiTalks) August 30, 2023

On Multani mitti, Nepal has nothing to lose, but only lessons to learn. Nepal has nothing at stake, but everything to win. Nepal needs no recognition for now as it has already made its introduction to international cricket.#AsiaCup2023 #Nepal #NepalVsPak

— Chandan Kumar Mandal (@CK_Mandal) August 29, 2023

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