All posts by n8rngtd.top

He was the only one of the five Mohammad brothers to not play for Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2022Raees Mohammad, the only one of the five Mohammad brothers to not play for Pakistan, died on Monday in Karachi. He was 89.Sadiq Mohammad, his younger brother who opened the batting in 41 Tests and 19 ODIs, confirmed to that Raees had died after an illness.The Mohammad brothers who represented Pakistan all the way from their inaugural Test in 1952, in which the great opening batter Hanif made his debut, to 1981, when Sadiq played his last Test.Wazir Mohammad, the oldest of the brothers, is currently Pakistan’s oldest living Test cricketer at 92. Hanif died in 2016 at 81. Mushtaq, the most capped of the Mohammads with 57 Tests, and Sadiq are 78 and 76 respectively.Raees, the second-oldest brother, did not contribute to the siblings’ combined 173 Tests – Shoaib, Hanif’s son, added a further 45 to the family’s count in the 1980s and 90s – but was 12th man for the Dhaka Test against India in January 1955. He played 30 first-class matches, 17 of them for Karachi or Karachi B. Batting right-handed, he made 1344 runs at 32.78, including two hundreds, and he also picked up 33 wickets at 31.27 with his legbreaks.In an interview with , Wazir said of Raees that he was “the most stylish batsman among us five brothers”. Hanif, meanwhile, wrote in his autobiography that Raees was “the unluckiest of us all to have missed out on representing his country. In my opinion, had he played, he would have proved himself to be a better allrounder than even Mushtaq.”

Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh will link up with the squad for the second and third games after the Asia Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2025Rajat Patidar will lead India A in their first one-dayer against Australia A, on September 30, and Tilak Varma will take charge for the second and third games of the series after finishing the Asia Cup in the UAE, with Patidar as his deputy, on October 3 and October 5. All the matches will be played in Kanpur.Along with Tilak, other Asia Cup squad members Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh will join the squad for the second and third matches to add muscle to it. Leaving the squad after the first match will be Priyansh Arya and Simarjeet Singh. Meanwhile, Ayush Badoni is the only member of the 17-member squad – KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj are in only for the second game there – selected for the two four-day matches to also be part of the one-day side.Not much attention appears to have been given to the last edition of the List A Vijay Hazare Trophy, where, of the top-ten run-getters, only Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek, both from Punjab, have been picked. Ayush Mhatre, among those heavy scorers, will, of course, be leading the India Under-19s in Australia at the time. Similarly, among the top-ten wicket-takers, only Arshdeep features in the ‘A’ side.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Apart from the Asia Cuppers and Badoni, the squad has a strong and familiar-looking batting core, with Patidar, whose Central Zone are on the verge of winning the season-opening Duleep Trophy, Riyan Parag and Abishek Porel. Prabhsimran and Porel are also the main wicketkeeping options. Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam and Nishant Sindhu are the allrounders. Frontline bowlers include Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh and Ravi Bishnoi. For the first game, Arya adds a batting option and Simarjeet a medium-pace alternative.The four-day matches will be played from September 16 and September 23 in Lucknow.

India A squad for the 1st one-dayer

Rajat Patidar (capt), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (wk), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh

India A squad for 2nd and 3rd one-dayers

Tilak Varma (capt), Rajat Patidar (vice-capt), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh

Georgia Elwiss, Emily Windsor add half-centuries to compound Blaze’s late-season struggles

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2023Southern Vipers won by 126 runs to send them through to next week’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final, pipping the Blaze, who had led the table all season in a winner-takes-all final game of the group stages at Loughborough.The South Coast team entered the last game, knowing a bonus point win would carry them through. The Blaze also knew a win would guarantee a place at Northampton next Sunday.The Blaze would have to reach a score of 231 even if they didn’t chase down the 289 they needed to win the game and take all other permutations out of the equation.Half-centuries from Georgia Elwiss (64), Emily Windsor (53) and Maia Bouchier (64), who recently scored 95 at Leicester for England in her first ODI series against Sri Lanka, underpinned Vipers’ total.On an overcast morning with the September dew still fresh on the outfield, it felt important to win the toss and bowl, which is what Kirstie Gordon, the Blaze captain, did and early on it looked like the correct decision. Kathryn Bryce and Grace Ballinger, who both who get a lot of early swing, kept the Vipers top order quiet. Ballinger made the early breakthrough in the second over, trapping Ella McCaughan lbw for a nine-ball duck.The experience of Georgia Adams and Bouchier steadied the innings; the pair added 102 for the second wicket and rarely looked in any bother, but with runs difficult to come by at the beginning, it took Bouchier 25 balls to find her first boundary. Four more fours and two sixes from the in-form international followed and both fell within 24 balls of each other, Bouchier to a fantastic low catch from Ella Claridge at a short midwicket that never rose above ankle height.Runs were flowing more freely, which gave the platform for Elwiss and Emily Windsor to up the scoring rate in a fourth-wicket partnership of 94. When the pair were separated with the score on 220 with 12 overs left, a total of 300 plus was on the cards. The Blaze fought back, howerver, and Ballinger, with two wickets in the 48th over, finished with 4 for 58; with Josie Groves, with 3 for 64, was the pick of the Blaze bowlers, while Kathryn Bryce’s ten overs were an economical 1 for 36.Where the Vipers had relied on two significant partnerships to propel them to their total, the Blaze lost wickets at regular intervals, with their running causing the fall of two wickets, albeit close calls for the umpire. However, a more obvious decision was not given as Kathryn Bryce struggled to reach her ground.Marie Kelly, recently back from the Caribbean Premier League, top-scored for the home side with 56 from 62, and Sarah Bryce added 62 for the second wicket from 85 balls. As Kelly completed her fifty from 52 balls, she pulled up with some discomfort in her back. Kelly was determined to continue, having previously been a thorn in the Vipers’ side. The Blaze needed her to bat deep, and unfortunately for the East Midlands outfit, she soon departed for 56 from Adams’s handy off-spin.
Mary Taylor, the 18-year-old seamer in her second spell, had Kathryn Bryce and Lucy Higham caught behind by Rhianna Southby as the Blaze crumbled to 156 for 8, 75 runs behind their target.It means the Blaze will play in the eliminator on Thursday knowing that they needed just one win from their final three games to qualify for the final, now having to pick themselves up to go again.

Nick Browne 49 sets visitors off well but Northamptonshire bowlers do some damage

ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2022Northamptonshire’s seamers shared the spoils as they helped rout Essex’s batting line-up and hold the visitors to 220 for 8 on a rain-affected opening day of this LV= County Championship clash at Wantage Road.But despite wickets falling in clumps, a captain’s knock of 55 from Tom Westley helped keep Essex in the contest in a ninth-wicket stand of 68 in 20 overs with Ben Allison (37).Earlier, Ben Sanderson struck twice in two balls to arrest a lightning Essex start to the day which saw Nick Browne and Sir Alastair Cook plunder 68 runs off the first 13 overs.But when Cook fell for 31, it precipitated the first mini collapse of the day as four wickets went down in 45 balls, two of them to Sanderson and Essex went into lunch on 107 for 4 before rain prevented any play in the afternoon session.When play resumed after tea, Westley and Feroze Khushi looked fluent as they rebuilt in a stand of 47 before Essex collapsed again losing four wickets for nine runs in 32 balls. Tom Taylor picked up three wickets amid the carnage before Westley and Allison made sure honours were even at close of play.In the morning, Northamptonshire’s decision to insert Essex after winning the toss was called into question as opening pair Browne and Cook unfurled a string of boundaries.Cook found the ropes three times in Jack White’s fifth over, playing some trademark backfoot punches and cuts. Meanwhile Browne also hit a trio of boundaries off Tom Taylor’s first over, driving sweetly through the covers.Both batters had their share of luck though when Emilio Gay shelled two chances at second slip denying Gareth Berg a pair of wickets. First Gay put down a straightforward chance offered by Browne before missing a more difficult one to his left when Cook edged wide of the cordon.Taylor finally accounted for Cook when he got one to nip back and hit the stumps. The former England captain now needs 44 in the second innings to reach 1,000 runs for the season.Sanderson’s return to the attack soon reaped dividends when Browne chipped to midwicket and Dan Lawrence was bowled through the gate first ball. Gay could finally breathe a sigh of relief when he pouched a chance offered by Critchley who edged to the slips to give White his first wicket.In the evening session Khushi who hit 118 against Northamptonshire in the Royal London Cup last month looked to pick up where he had left off, driving pleasantly through extra cover and down the ground. His departure for 26, when he edged Taylor behind to keeper Ricardo Vasconcelos, sparked a further clatter of wickets.Michael Pepper was next to go when he played an extravagant shot to Berg which flew at a comfortable height to Will Young at first slip. Next Simon Harmer prodded at one from Taylor and was caught behind before White got one to nip back and castle Shane Snater to leave Essex reeling at 152 for 8.Westley though was in defiant mood, reaching his half-century off 122 balls and finding a willing partner in Allison. The Essex skipper struck six boundaries, slapping White through cover and whipping Sanderson and Berg through midwicket.Allison had a reprieve on 17 when he hooked Berg and was dropped in the deep by Sanderson but he and Westley have given Essex renewed hope after it seemed they would be bowled out well short of 200.

The left-arm spinner shone in a low-scoring encounter as India defended 106 in a rain-interrupted encounter in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2019Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar broke Bangladesh’s spirited late resistance to help India defend 106, taking them to a seventh Under-19 Asia Cup title with a five-run win in a rain-interrupted, nerve-wracking encounter in Colombo. Needing 29 runs to win after being reduced to 78 for 8 in 21.1 overs, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rakibul Hasan put up a patient 23-run stand, taking Bangladesh close to their maiden title, before Ankolekar struck twice in the 33rd over to finish with figures of 5 for 28 in eight overs.India started poorly after they elected to bat, reduced to 8 for 3 by seamers Sakib and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury within the first six overs. A 45-run stand between Dhruv Jurel and Shashwat Rawat helped rebuild the innings, before offspinner Shamim Hossain broke through, picking Rawat and next batsman Varun Lavande in the same over.Karan Lal at No. 8 then shored up India after having walked in at 61 for 6 in the 20th over, hitting the day’s highest score of 37, which played a major part in getting India to a three-digit score. He was the last batsman to be dismissed, bringing the Indian innings to a close in 32.4 overs. Chowdhury and Shahin Alam cleaned up the tail to finish with three wickets each.Atharva Ankolekar in his delivery stride•Asian Cricket Council

In reply, Bangladesh too were dealt early blows with fast bowlers Akash Singh and Vidhyadhar Patel striking in succession to reduce them to 16 for 4 in 4.1 overs. India seized control when Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali and Chowdhury – who were the only ones to cross 20 in the innings – fell within a space of three balls. However, that led to the fight back by Sakib and Rakibul for the ninth wicket, with the duo batting for 11.2 overs.Ankolekar ended the stand by trapping Sakib in front, leaving Bangladesh needing just six runs with one wicket remaining, and the match still poised on knife’s edge. It ended two balls later, when Ankolekar bowled No. 11 Shahin Alam to wrap up a win for India. Ankolekar also finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in three matches.

Gareth Hopkins and James Marshall, captains of Auckland and Northern Districts respectively, have been accused of collusion to force a result in a rain-affected Plunket Shield fixture at Colin Maiden Park

Cricinfo staff17-Dec-2009Gareth Hopkins and James Marshall, captains of Auckland and Northern Districts respectively, have been accused of collusion to force a result in a rain-affected Plunket Shield fixture at Colin Maiden Park. Both teams forfeited an innings each to set up a result on the final day, after almost three out of four days were washed out, but the captains denied any collaboration and insisted the decisions were taken independently.ND had reached 82 for no loss on the first day before rain interrupted play and prevented any action for the next two days. In a bid to speed up ND’s declaration, Auckland used part-timers like Andrew de Boorder (nine overs for 85) and Reece Young (five overs for 65), to allow ND to reach 290 for 3. They scored 208 runs in 21 overs. Once the declaration was made, Auckland forfeited their first innings, and ND their second, to set the stage for a final-day chase. Auckland, however, fell short of their target by 56 runs after facing close to 73 overs.New Zealand Cricket’s rules do not allow collaboration between captains to ensure a result but the captains said they didn’t speak to each other about the forfeits. An investigation into the matter confirmed there was no collusion.ND lead the points table with 26 points from five games but Auckland are at the bottom, with zero points. Forfeiting an innings, Hopkins, the losing captain said, was a desperate attempt to open Auckland’s account. “I was walking off the pitch thinking I can either play for the two points here, or forfeit our innings and hope James forfeits his, and play for six,” he told the . “It might have left a sour taste in someone’s mouth but it’s solely because we were on zero points and we’re trying to play catch-up.”ND captain Marshall said his decision was not unprecedented, and criticised those accusing him of collusion. “This is my 13th season and it’s not like it’s the first time it has happened in those 13 years,” he said. “Other teams have done it. The teams that might have moaned are the teams that are maybe a little bit negative about the game of cricket.”Central Districts coach and former England allrounder Dermott Reeve was among those who led the criticism. “No captain in his right mind forfeits an innings 290 runs behind if he doesn’t know that the other people aren’t going to enforce the follow-on and play ball,” he said. “It’s disgraceful. This is not playing within the spirit of the game. It could just become farcical if there’s nothing done.”Terming the NZC’s investigation into the incident as “rubbish”, Reeve added: “Auckland and ND should have come clean and said Auckland were aware that we [Northern] weren’t going to enforce the follow-on.”Wellington coach Anthony Stuart echoed Reeve’s statements. “Our jobs are on the line and you get a ridiculous game like this,” he said. “I find it incredibly frustrating. I find it hard to believe the players sat around for 2 1/2 days and didn’t discuss manufacturing a result.”However, NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said the investigations yielded no evidence of collaboration. “It was obviously unusual circumstances in terms of how the game achieved a result,” Vaughan said. “We did a thorough investigation and you’ve got to back the evidence that you receive. Certainly there was no evidence of collusion.”What can you do? Accuse them of being liars? “You’ve got to take them on their word. So as much as you may suspect something, unless you’ve got the evidence, I don’t think that you can act on anything.”

Balbirnie, Tector centuries in vain as Burl, Raza star in chase for Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2023Zimbabwe beat Ireland by three wickets in a thrilling final-ball finish in Harare. Needing four to win off the final ball, Clive Madande swiped Graham Hume for four over midwicket to seal the win at a boisterous Harare Sports Club.Zimbabwe had won the toss with Craig Ervine opting to field first, and Zimbabwe’s bowlers immediately put Ireland under pressure. The visitors struggled in the opening powerplay against Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi, and at that stage, Ireland were 28 for 2.But a 212-run partnership between Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector put Ireland on course for a strong total. Both men got centuries, before Balbirnie was forced to retire hurt on 121 after he top-edged a ball into the grill of his helmet, and was forced off concussed. But cameos at the death from George Dockerell and Lorcan Tucker took Ireland to 288.Ireland kept Zimbabwe reined in during the powerplay as well, and the loss of the openers saw the asking rate rise. But Zimbabwe’s trusted middle order put the home side back on course. Craig Ervine and Gary Balance got runs, before a 76-run partnership between Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl – who scored 59 – brought Zimbabwe back into the game.Rain arrived in the 34th over, at which stage Zimbabwe were two runs behind the DLS target. After more than an hour, the sides got back on the pitch, with Zimbabwe requiring 39 off 22 balls. The loss of Raza immediately after put Ireland in the driving seat, leaving Burl to fight on almost single-handedly.A few lusty blows from the left-hander brought Zimbabwe close, but when he was run out trying to get back on strike, his side still needed 11 off four balls. Brad Evans hit a six off the first ball before being dismissed the next, and in the end, Zimbabwe needed four off the last delivery. An overpitched ball from Hume was smeared to cow corner by Madande as Zimbabwe sealed a scintillating win.

Board braced for postponement and cancellations of marquee events as implications for summer gather

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2020The ECB are preparing themselves for the possibility that portions of the English domestic season could be played behind closed doors, postponed or cancelled outright, as the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to sweep the game.In the wake of this morning’s postponement of the Test tour of Sri Lanka, and in light of the UK government’s estimate that the peak of the virus is still 10-14 weeks away, the ECB is now making contingency plans with its financial, logistical and scheduling implications to the fore.England are scheduled to play three Tests against West Indies, with the series starting at The Oval on June 4. That date is currently 12 weeks away, in the middle of the expected peak period. The T20 Blast is scheduled to start on May 28, with the group stage running until July 12.The greatest concern for the ECB, however, would be any disruption to their new flagship tournament, the Hundred, which is set to run from July 22 to August 14, and marks the much-anticipated return of English cricket to domestic television, with the BBC having secured rights to a portion of the tournament.”We are undertaking a number of steps to prepare for potential outcomes that an ongoing situation with COVID-19 might bring for the cricket community here in England and Wales,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive.”In conjunction with our partners across the network, we are building contingency plans across a number of possible eventualities. Our main priorities are to ensure we scope out the landscape for financial, logistical and scheduling implications.”A raft of UK sporting events have fallen victim to the virus in the past 24 hours, including the suspension of all domestic football leagues in England and Scotland, as well as Scotland v Wales in the latest round of Six Nations rugby fixtures.And while Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped short of issuing an outright ban on sporting events at a press conference on Thursday, he admitted that such a move is under consideration, which could wreak havoc with the English cricketing summer.ALSO READ: Counties’ pre-season plans in the spotlightThe cancellation of the West Indies Test series would be a significant financial blow for the ECB, who are also scheduled to play three Tests against Pakistan and limited-overs series against Australia and Ireland.The T20 Blast, meanwhile, generates a major proportion of most counties’ income. And while it is possible that the tournament could be pushed back further in the summer – possibly at the expense of the final rounds of County Championship fixtures – there is precious little room in the schedule for change.More immediately, the County Championship is scheduled to start on April 12. While crowds are typically relatively low, they regularly exceed 2000 at certain grounds, and the main demographic of match-going fans is elderly, increasing their vulnerability to the virus.It is possible that games – almost all of which are streamed for free online – could be played behind closed doors, and the ECB is in close contact with government to discuss its options.”It is difficult for us to be sure of what outcomes the game might be expected to deal with,” Harrison added. “Therefore, we will continue to plan for the expectation that the season proceeds as normal, but in parallel prepare for a range of scenarios. These could include the possibility of playing matches behind closed doors, or potentially postponing or cancelling elements of the season.”We continue to enjoy constructive dialogue with DCMS [Department of Culture, Media and Sport], and also our commercial and broadcast partners – who match our ambitions to see the game of cricket thrive in 2020 and beyond. We are certain that jointly, we will all come to solutions that best protect those who love cricket, and the game itself.”

Hits out at club for slow appointment process, claiming his candidacy was being treated as a backstop

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2023Colin Graves has withdrawn his offer to refinance Yorkshire’s £14.9 million debt, and will not be returning to his former role of chair at the club after criticising the length of time it has taken to appoint a successor to Lord Patel, who stepped down in March.Graves’ family trust is owed approximately £15 million by Yorkshire following his bail-out in 2002, although the club has been looking at alternative sources of investment, with prospective names in the frame including Mike Ashley, the former owner of Newcastle United, and the Saudi national investment fund.Yorkshire are due to repay £500,000 to the Graves Trust in October, with the remainder of the balance due in October 2024, although Graves himself was understood to have reached an agreement with its independent trustees to extend the repayment terms by a further three years, in exchange for his return as Yorkshire chair.However, in a letter to the interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and seen by the Telegraph, Graves has now withdrawn from that agreement in principle, with a broadside at the club for effectively using him as a backstop if they failed to secure the funding elsewhere.”After five months of constant discussions, interviews, exchange of emails, it would appear that your board only require my services as chairman as a last resort. Other excellent candidates have been rejected, in a process that has proven to be arduous and disappointing to all who participated,” he wrote.Yorkshire’s financial position remains parlous in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about institutional racism at Headingley, and the subsequent withdrawal of a host of key sponsors at the height of the crisis. In a statement, the club responded that they were “disappointed” with Graves’ pronouncements, adding that his proposal had never been a definitive offer for formal board-level discussion.”We remain at a critical point in the future of Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” the statement read. “The board is squarely focused on securing the financial security of the club and we are continuing the positive conversations around investment from various sources.”We have been notified that Colin Graves has decided to withdraw his application for chair. We are disappointed that he has decided to do so publicly and are obliged to make it absolutely clear that at no point did Colin make a clearly defined, tangible offer that the board was able to consider formally, unlike other interested parties involved in the refinance process.”We have consistently outlined that the new chair would be appointed using a fair, thorough and robust process, which is ongoing. Colin indicated that the terms of his return as chair would require total control of the board and executive. This would run counter to that process, as well as the best practice governance requirements set out in the County Governance Code that were agreed by all counties in 2019.”Colin also makes a number of allegations about the board’s actions in regard to finances which are unfounded and indicate a distinct lack of understanding of the current position of YCCC. The short- and long-term financial wellbeing of the club remains the board’s priority, and we will not be distracted by speculation which is unhelpful to our primary objective of securing the future of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and making it a welcoming club for everyone.”

The fast bowler returned home for the birth of his child and is likely to rejoin the side for the Super Fours

Deivarayan Muthu03-Sep-20233:28

Jaffer: Shami the obvious replacement for Bumrah

Big picture: Rain in the air once again

Rain ruined the India-Pakistan game, the first in ODI cricket between the two teams since the 2019 World Cup, on Saturday in Pallekele. A similar rain threat hangs over the India-Nepal game at the same venue on Monday, with chances of precipitation up to 80%. If Monday’s fixture in Pallekele is also washed out, India will join their arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super Fours from Group A.Nepal will not want to return home without testing themselves against India’s superstars. If the weather clears up, this could be their biggest match yet, with millions tuning into it. Just two months back, in Colombo, a Rohit Paudel-led Nepal team came up against an India A team filled with IPL players, and suffered a drubbing.Nepal suffered a similar drubbing at the hands of Babar Azam’s Pakistan on their Asia Cup debut in Multan, but there were some passages of play where they showed that they could compete with top teams. Like when Karan KC and Sompal Kami operated with discipline and purpose in the early exchanges. When Paudel swooped in on the ball and nailed a direct hit to run Imam-ul-Haq out. However, at the same time, they also botched a number of chances in the field.They can’t afford any such clumsy errors – or no team for that matter – against an India side that is almost back to full strength. Shreyas Iyer looked fluent against Pakistan before his stay was cut short by Haris Rauf. But they will be without Jasprit Bumrah, who has returned home* for the birth of his first child to miss just one game. It was Ishan Kishan, who made the biggest splash on Saturday, with 82 off 81 balls at No. 5 against a fearsome pace attack on a two-paced track.Going into the match as overwhelming favourites, will India give Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma a chance before they announce their World Cup squad?

Form guide

India WLWLL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Nepal LLWLL

In the spotlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Lalit Rajbanshi

Since his return to the ODI side in January, Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as India’s premier spinner in the format. Among bowlers from Full-Member nations, only Wanindu Hasaranga, Mark Adair and Maheesh Theekshana have more wickets than Kuldeep’s 22 in 11 innings in ODI cricket this year. On Monday, Kuldeep can handsomely add to his tally against an opposition that perhaps isn’t used to facing high-quality left-arm wristspin.Lalit Rajbanshi bowls the less glamorous variety of spin – left-arm fingerspin – and has spent much of his career in the shadow of legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. But he has played his part in Nepal’s recent success with his defensive skills. Those skills were on bright display against Pakistan in Multan, where he strung together 33 dots. In a match where Pakistan rattled up 342, Rajbanshi gave away just 48 from his ten overs. Earlier, against West Indies in the ODI World Cup Qualifier in Harare, he even fronted up to bowl at the death and got rid of Rovman Powell, Shai Hope and Keemo Paul.0:48

Nepal captain: Kohli is an inspiration for all of us

Team news: Shami could replace Bumrah

Kishan seemingly struggled while running between the wickets against Pakistan, but he was ready to keep wicket before persistent rain had the final say. Bumrah went back home for the birth of his first child – he will likely be back for the Super Fours stage – but for now, his absence will open up a spot for Mohammed Shami or Prasidh Krishna. India have no reason to make any changes on the batting front unless they want to throw in Suryakumar or Tilak, who was particularly impressive during the T20I series against West Indies.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Ishan Kishan (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami/Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed SirajBhim Sharki is part of the squad as a reserve batter, but Nepal might stick to the same XI.Nepal (probable): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Rohit Paudel (capt), 4 Aarif Sheikh, 5 Sompal Kami, 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Kushal Malla, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Lalit Rajbanshi

Pitch and conditions: All eyes on the skies

The conditions – both overhead and underfoot – in Pallekele challenged batters on Saturday. There could be some juice for the seamers on Monday too, but all eyes will be on the skies once again.

Stats and trivia: Nepal’s first outing vs India

• This will be Nepal’s first international game against India and only fifth ODI against a Full-Member nation.
• Kushal Bhurtel is six runs away from becoming the third Nepal player, after Paudel and Aasif Sheikh, to 1000 runs in ODI cricket.
• Virat Kohli is 98 runs away from becoming the second Indian – and fifth batter overall – to 13,000 ODI runs.

Quotes

“We never imagined that we would get a chance to play two back-to-back matches against Pakistan and India. We want to make such opportunities count so that the cricketing world can take notice of us.”
*