Nepal's cricket team captain, Rohit Paudel, expressed excitement about facing India in the Asia Cup. He is aware of the significance of the opportunity to play against India, a seven-time Asia Cup winner.
Nepal, making its Asia Cup debut, will face India in the final Group A match to determine the second team advancing to the Super Four stage of the 50-over tournament. While playing against top stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is a rare moment for Nepal's team, Paudel mentioned that his players would only allow themselves "a fanboy moment" after the match concludes.
In their tournament opener, Nepal suffered a heavy loss to Pakistan. Now, they face the challenge of playing against India, whose opening match against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain.
Rain remains a concern for the Nepal-India match, with the winner advancing to the next stage. If the points are shared, India will progress.
Paudel stated, "We all are very excited, especially playing against India. It is a big opportunity for all of us to represent our country at the biggest stage. Weather is not in our control but we are hoping that we get an opportunity to play against India, to showcase our talent."
Paudel also defended star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who faced challenges in Nepal's 238-run loss to Pakistan. Paudel stressed Lamichhane's importance to the team and referred to him as an "impactful player."
Lamichhane, 23, joined the team late for the Asia Cup due to legal matters related to an alleged incident in a Kathmandu hotel room in August of the previous year. Lamichhane has denied all charges.
India did not hold a training session or a press conference after their match on Saturday.