India vs Nepal Prediction: Nepal is in red-hot form and has already made their mark in this tournament

India and Nepal are going head to head in the first quarter-finals of the Asian Games 2023 at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou on 3rd October. Nepal is in red-hot form and has already made their mark in this tournament. Who will win this game?

The Indian men's cricket team, led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, is all set to kick off their Asian Games 2023 campaign against Nepal. The match will take place at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou.

Although there is a possibility of overcast conditions, which might bring slight chances of rainfall, it could potentially affect the proceedings of the India-Nepal contest.

It's worth noting that this match is a quarterfinal clash, and the Indian team secured a direct entry into the last eight due to their higher ICC ranking.

On the flip side, Nepal will be entering this match following convincing victories against Mongolia and Maldives during the qualification round.

While the young Indian side earned their spot in the Asian Games through their superior rankings, they should remain cautious considering Nepal's impressive performance in the tournament.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

Nepal made its debut in T20 International (T20I) cricket back in 2014 when they played against Hong Kong during the initial stage of the T20 World Cup. This match took place at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Nepal managed to secure their first T20 International victory, winning by a margin of 80 runs. Key contributions came from Gyanendra Malla (scoring 48), captain Paras Khadka (making 41), and the bowlers Shakti Gauchan (with figures of 3/9) and Basant Regmi (taking 3/14).

Since that historic win, Nepal has been actively involved in T20 International cricket, participating in over 50 matches. They have achieved 34 victories while experiencing 23 losses, with one match ending in a no result.

The team faced a significant challenge in their second T20I match when they played against Bangladesh, ultimately losing by eight wickets. Their third match in the same tournament was against Afghanistan, which Nepal won by nine runs. Notably, wicketkeeper Subash Khakurel registered Nepal's first half-century in the T20I during that game.

This match against Afghanistan marked the first instance of Nepal playing against a nation that had previously participated in a Test match. Subsequently, they also played a few matches against Zimbabwe.

Looking ahead to the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, Nepal is scheduled to compete against the Indian cricket team in the quarter-finals of the T20 cricket tournament within the continental event.

In their recent match, Nepal established a new record for the highest score in T20 cricket by amassing an impressive total of 314/3 in 20 overs against Mongolia. A standout performance included Dipendra Singh Airee's extraordinary nine-ball fifty, making it the fastest 50 ever scored in this format of the game.

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Binod Bhandari (wk), Sundeep Jora, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Abinash Bohara, Sandeep Lamichhane

The pitch at the Hangzhou venue is anticipated to be highly favourable for batsmen, making it a wise choice for the toss-winning team to opt for batting first. The playing conditions in Hangzhou are expected to be pleasant, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees Celsius.

In this Asian Games 2023 encounter, India is the favoured team due to their superior quality and experience. Gaikwad's squad should secure a comfortable victory over Nepal, who, despite being in good form, are generally less skilled than their upcoming opponents. Our prediction is for India to emerge as the victor in this match.