Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma stars as India beat Nepal by 10 wickets in another rain-truncated match

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India reached the Super four stages of Asia Cup 2023 on Monday (September 4) as the Rohit Sharma-led side defeated minnows Nepal comprehensively by 10 wickets in another rain-marred affair at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Chasing a reduced target of 145 runs, India did not lose a single wicket and won the game with 2.5 overs to spare with both openers Rohit and Shubman Gill scoring half-centuries. The duo found runs from their bat after they failed to provide India with a good start against Pakistan in the previous game.

Rohit Sharma looked in great touch and played an innings of 74 runs which included five sixes. Gill (67) too reminded fans of his IPL form and looked comfortable on the pitch. With this win, India has qualified for the 'Super 4' stage and will play against the arch-rivals Pakistan on September 10.

Early in the day, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl first. In all likeliness, the decision to bowl first came after India's top-order failure in overcast conditions against the new-ball bowlers of Pakistan.

India made one forced change in their line-up as Jasprit Bumrah had to go back to India, earlier on Sunday to welcome his baby boy in his life. Mohammed Shami replaced Bumrah.

The Indian pacers were all set to use the condition to their advantage. However, Mohammed Siraj looked off-color at the beginning of his spell and could not find his length early on. The Indians were sloppy on the field and dropped three catches in the first five overs of the game.

Nepalese opener Kushal Bhurtel took advantage of the lives he got and smashed the Indian pacers all over the ground. In his knock of 38 runs, Bhurtel hit three fours and two sixes before Shardul Thakur got the better of him, breaking the opening stand. Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh accumulated 65 runs for the first wicket.

The first ten overs belonged to Nepal but India came back strongly after the powerplay. Ravindra Jadeja got rid of Bhim Sharki on just seven as Sharki chopped one onto his stumps, trying to cut the ball. Sheikh stood on his end as Jadeja picked two more Nepalese wickets, Rohit Paudel (5) and Kushal Malla (2), in quick succession.

Sheikh brought up his half-century with a single and became the first Nepali batter to his a 50 against India. His hard-fought innings soon came to an end as he edged one straight into Kohli's hand, trying to close the bat against Siraj.

Gulsan Jha looked good for his 23 runs before he gave an easy catch to Ishan Kishan, giving Siraj his second wicket. Dipendra Singh (29) and Sompal Kami put up a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket and brought Nepal's innings back on the track.

Kami gave the finishing touches to the innings, hitting two cracking sixes in his innings of 48 runs. Indian bowlers did not let the tail flourish and sealed Nepal at 230 runs.