NEP vs HKG Match Preview
Aasif Sheikh has been in good form for Nepal in this tournament, getting good starts in both matches. His opening partner, Kushal Bhurtel hasn’t been able to get going so far. Much of Nepal’s recent success has come from the performance of its middle-order batting, including skipper Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Kushal Malla.
Rohit Paudel scored an excellent half-century in the first T20 and is the leading run-scorer for Nepal in this tournament. In addition, the likes of Sompal Kami and Sundeep Jora add depth to the batting. Coming to the bowling, Karan KC is in sensational form, picking up 7 wickets in 2 matches.
He bowled a brilliant spell in Nepal’s last match against Hong Kong, picking up 4 wickets for just 15 runs. He has been well-supported by Gulsan Jha and Sompal Kami. Abinash Bohara will head the spin department and will have the support of Mousom Dhakal and Kushal Malla.
Hong Kong’s poor form in T20 continues as it was dominated by the hosts on Thursday. The team needs to improve in all aspects of the game if it wants to get back to winning ways. Babar Hayat has been the key batsman for Hong Kong this year and is also the leading run-scorer for them.
He will play an important part in the middle order. Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath are likely to open the batting in this match and will have to give the team a solid start if Hong Kong wants to put up a big total. Wicket-keeper batsman Zeeshan Ali and all-rounder Yasim Murtaza batted well in the last match and were the only ones to show some resistance to Nepal’s precise bowling.
Ehsan Khan is the leading wicket-taker for Hong Kong this year and bowled a good spell in the last match, picking up 3 wickets. However, he received little support at the other end. Ayush Shukla and Haroon Arshad are likely to open the bowling with the new ball, with Aizaz Khan coming in as the first change.
Weather Report
The weather is likely to remain bright and sunny with no forecast for rain. The temperature is likely to hover between the 20 to 25 degree mark.
Pitch Report
The Mulpani cricket stadium has just started hosting T20 internationals. Both the matches played so far have been won while chasing so we reckon that the team winning the toss will likely opt to bowl first. The pitch isn’t the easiest to bat on as there will be some swing early on for the quicker bowlers. However, the surface dies settle down as the game progresses. A score of around 150 is a par score on this surface.
Notable stats
Nizakat Khan: Player to Watch Out For
Nizakat Khan is the leading run-scorer for Hong Kong in T20 internationals. He has scored 1198 runs in his career at an average of 19.32 and a strike rate of 118.37.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
NEP vs HKG Probable 11
NEP Playing 11
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Aasif Sheikh (Wk)
- Kushal Malla
- Rohit Paudel (C)
- Dipendra Singh Airee
- Sompal Kami
- Gulsan Jha
- Karan KC
- Sundeep Jora
- Mousom Dhakal
- Abinash Bohara
HKG Playing 11
- Nizakat Khan (C)
- Anshuman Rath
- Babar Hayat
- Ehsan Khan
- Aizaz Khan
- Adit Gorawara
- Ayush Shukla
- Yasim Murtaza
- Zeeshan Ali (Wk)
- Martin Coetzee
- Haroon Arshad
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing Nepal to win this match. Their performance in the first two matches has been clinical and have dominated the opposition in all aspects of the game. Also, Nepal enjoyed a good record against Hong Kong recently, having won 2 of its last 3 matches against them.
Top Picks
Karan KC: Karan KC is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 7 wickets. He has an economy rate of 4.25 and a bowling strike rate of 6.80.
Dipendra Singh Airee: Known for his aggressive brand of batting, Airee is the leading run-scorer for Nepal in T20s, scoring 1227 runs at a strike rate of 138.80.
Aizaz Khan: Aizaz Khan is the leading wicket-taker for Hong Kong, having picked up 66 wickets in his career at a strike rate of 16.22.
NEP vs HKG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: Asif-Sheikh
Batters: K Bhurtel, B Hayat, R Kumar Paudel
All-rounders: D Singh-Airee (VC), N Khan, Y Murtaza, K Malla, A Khan
Bowlers: K Karan (C), S Kami
