Zimbabwe vs Nepal Match 1 Preview- ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2023

Author: Aashray
18 Jun 2023 15:40:39
single

*ICC WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 2023 MATCH 1- ZIMBABWE VS NEPAL PREVIEW*

*THE BUILD UP:*

After narrowly missing out on a precious spot in the World Cup in 2019, It was a heartbreaking story for Zimbabwe and its cricket team. 

The World Cup Qualifiers this time around, however, are set to take place in their own backyard where they would fancy their chances but will they be good enough against an already strong and favourites of this pre World Cup stage- West Indies and Srilanka? Only time would give us an answer to that. 

The men in red could be more than handy in conditions which they are accustomed to, so well and don’t be surprised if they manage to create an upset and break into the Top 10 competing for the ultimate glory in India later this year. 

Moving on from Zimbabwe, the true underdog story this year could be that of Nepal who have the adequate resources in their team, are gelling along nicely and have good game time heading into this tournament. They hold the ability to shake the cricketing fraternity by cashing on moments of inconsistencies from other teams as they look to build their case in fashion. Nepal are featuring in a World Cup for the first time ever, their heroics and improved performances over the last few years are a testimony to how well associate teams can play and how they hold the edge in the qualification. 

*ZIM PROBABLE XI:*

Craig Ervine(c), Joylord Gumbie, Wessly Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Luke Jongwe, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani 

Sikandar Raza, the most important player of this team and a star all rounder would look to start on a bright note. With scores of 110 and 44 backing him in the warmups, he looks set for a mighty stead at the Qualifiers. Just like always, his expertise in the middle overs- playing the field and depositing it in the stands is what Nepal would look to stop and standup strong against. 

Blessing Muzarabani, one integral piece of Zimbabwe’s bowling puzzle did not bowl in the last warmup against Scotland however he was instrumental against Oman in the African team’s defense. He gave simply 44 runs and accounted for the wickets of Jatinder Singh and Shoaib Khan, proving his mettle and warming up nicely before the ball starts rolling. 

We could see opener Joylord get the nod ahead of Innocent Kaia largely because of the former’s three ball duck vs Oman and his two ball duck vs Scotland. With such horrendous form backing the 30 year old, expect ZIM to take this harsh decision come their first game today. 

*NEPAL PROBABLE XI:*

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(wk),  Bhim Sharti, Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel(c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Aarif Shiekh, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Partis GC 

Sompal is one bowler who’d be high on confidence and strength as he claimed a five wicket haul against Oman getting the likes of Zeeshan Maqsood and Kashyap back into the hut. He’d be looking forward to the challenge that the inform ZIM batters present in front of him. What makes his case even more interesting is how he came back stronger against a much tougher opposition in the warmups after getting just one wicket for 57 runs vs UAE. His role as an opening bowler, a middle overs enforcer with the ball and at the death will prove to be crucial. 

Sandeep Lamichhane, the only Nepal player to make a name for himself and be renowned for his performances all around the globe would look to make this a tournament to remember. In the game vs Oman, he picked up 3 wickets but ended up being on the expensive side giving away 66 runs. A better and a more economicsal show is expected. 

*MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE GAME:*

*FOR ZIM:*
Highest run getter- Craig Ervine/Sikandar Raza 

Highest wicket taker- Blessing Muzarabani/Tendai Chatara

*FOR NEPAL:*
Highest run getter- Kushal Bhurtel/Bhim Sharti 

Highest wicket taker- Sandeep Lamichhane/Sompal Kami

*FOR THIS GAME:*

Zimbabwe to win

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:02:25 GMT
After the defeat to New Zealand in Karachi, Pakistan must travel to Dubai to play India, a team they have struggled to beat for several years
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:22:38 GMT
"The difference between Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill is that Gill will take you right till the end," Sanjay Manjrekar says
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:21:13 GMT
Manjrekar feels Kohli is down on confidence, and that has affected his ability to take bowlers on
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:07:42 GMT
Despite a quick 69-run opening stand, India were tested by the 229 target
Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:35:39 GMT
Axar finished with 2 for 43, and Jaker Ali, the beneficiary of the drop, went on to score 68
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:45:25 GMT
Former India spinner says head coach Gautam Gambhir has tough decisions irrespective of Champions Trophy result
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:45:24 GMT
Yash Rathod's century set Mumbai a target of 406, before Vidarbha ended the day with three key wickets
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:26:25 GMT
Shami opens up about his struggles and recovery after injuries and a surgery sidelined him from international cricket for over a year
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 02:34:23 GMT
The former Mumbai captain represented the state in first-class cricket for over a decade in the 1960s and 70s but is best remembered as a Mumbai selector and administrator
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT
The venue last hosted a 50-over match in March 2024 while India and Bangladesh last played an ODI there in 2018
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:48:32 GMT
India captain says their three allrounders gives them a lot of options
Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:43:56 GMT
This is the second time Gill is at the summit; the last time was during the 2023 ODI World Cup
Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:38:32 GMT
India international set for first taste of county cricket after agreeing deal for first red-ball block
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 18:04:37 GMT
Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be played in Hyderabad, and Qualifier 2 in Kolkata
Sun, 16 Feb 2025 10:09:59 GMT
Chennai Super Kings are expected to host Mumbai Indians on March 23
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:05:18 GMT
The total prize pot has gone up by 53% to $6.9 million
Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:23:35 GMT
Parunika Sisodia and Nuzhat Parween will replace them at MI and RCB respectively
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:03 GMT
India are without their bowling spearhead, Australia are without their entire first-choice pace attack
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:12:47 GMT
In two of India's chases against England, they promoted Axar Patel, and that left KL Rahul with little to do
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:29:23 GMT
Visitors were 126 for 2 after 18 overs in pursuit of 357, but eventually folded for 214
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:37:50 GMT
He is expected to take a month to recover after the surgery
Wed, 12 Feb 2025 07:17:13 GMT
While the latest scan, which Bumrah underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything untoward, it is learned he is not entirely ready to return to bowling yet
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:40:31 GMT
Their run-scoring methods haven't worked on this tour and part of that is due to the variety in the Indian bowling attack
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:20:54 GMT
Bumrah has not played any cricket since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in early January
Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:22:25 GMT
Hamstring injury leaves England looking at potential replacements ahead of Australia opener
Sun, 09 Feb 2025 20:09:09 GMT
"I bowled almost 30 overs in that match [against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy]. So I never lost my rhythm"
Sun, 09 Feb 2025 17:54:12 GMT
India chased down their target of 305 with 33 balls to spare as Rohit and Shubman Gill reuinited at the top of the order with a 136-run stand
Sun, 09 Feb 2025 17:39:13 GMT
"He makes things much easier than what it is," Shubman Gill says about Rohit Sharma's century in the Cuttack ODI
Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:45:42 GMT
There is an opportunity for both teams to use this series as a kind of laboratory ahead of the Champions Trophy
Sat, 08 Feb 2025 13:56:24 GMT
India batter had missed the series opener in Nagpur due to a knee injury
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:07:58 GMT
Your ready reckoner for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, to be played in Pune, Nagpur, Kolkata and Rajkot from Saturday
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 13:40:39 GMT
Iyer, who scored a match-winning half-century, was originally meant to sit out the first ODI
Fri, 07 Feb 2025 06:48:56 GMT
We answer all your questions about the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE
Thu, 06 Feb 2025 19:42:42 GMT
India batter suffered a knee injury on the eve of the match
Thu, 06 Feb 2025 19:01:27 GMT
Harshit Rana and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets each to restrict England to a very gettable 248
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:13:05 GMT
Adil Rashid lost his spot as the leader in the bowling charts, while Jofra Archer dropped four places to tenth
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:57:11 GMT
They are also set to tour India for two Tests in 2025
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:11:31 GMT
Javagal Srinath and Nitin Menon "mutually agreed" with the ICC that they would not undertake any officiating assignments in Pakistan
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:05:56 GMT
Two weeks ahead of the Champions Trophy, both teams have an air of vulnerability
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:49:33 GMT
Captain says the league will help players fine-tune their game and improve their fitness in the free window after the tournament
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:57:13 GMT
India's captain also hinted that Rahul could edge Pant as wicketkeeper for the England ODIs
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 07:34:48 GMT
The change was made to free up Mooney, who is Giants' designated wicketkeeper as well as opener
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 23:59:20 GMT
"You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that's where I'm trying to put in all my efforts and energy," says LSG mentor
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:20:41 GMT
He was the Player of the Series in India's 4-1 victory in the T20Is against England
Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:41:01 GMT
Abhishek's crisp shots and high-intent game in Mumbai left England without any answer and set up India's colossal victory
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 22:16:40 GMT
England captain says team won't veer from aggressive style despite chastening defeat at Wankhede
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:27:08 GMT
Coach says India "don't want to fear losing a game of cricket" after batters go all out to finish off 4-1 series result against England
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:10:08 GMT
He scored 38 more runs than England's collective total to complete India's 4-1 series win
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 12:29:28 GMT
The defending champions steamrolled past South Africa, with their spinners ruling the roost
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 10:57:25 GMT
With the series already wrapped up, India's captain will be keen on marking his Mumbai homecoming with a big performance
Sun, 02 Feb 2025 03:15:28 GMT
Defending champions India will look to extend their dominance as SA set sights on the team to bring home a first women's title
Sat, 01 Feb 2025 17:16:04 GMT
Bumrah and Mandhana take top awards, while R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, received a special award
Sat, 01 Feb 2025 15:07:42 GMT
"These guys are still hungry, and still have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country"
Sat, 01 Feb 2025 05:20:17 GMT
"Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has really improved his batting," says the England captain
Sat, 01 Feb 2025 03:02:35 GMT
England were favourites at a point but then went on to lose six wickets to India's spinners
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 13:43:29 GMT
R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, is set to receive a special award
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:04:55 GMT
Vaishnavi also shone with the ball, as England lost 6 for 11 in a middle-order collapse against India
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 15:36:02 GMT
However, the PCB will host an event in Lahore on February 16 to mark the start of the tournament
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:47:52 GMT
The team management is not worried about Suryakumar's lean run; in his last six innings, he has scored just 52 runs
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 15:41:27 GMT
Sanju Samson and Phil Salt will hope to get back among the runs as the series nears its climax
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 07:37:44 GMT
India have crushed all their opponents so far, while England faced a couple of must-win games in their run to the semi-finals
Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:10:00 GMT
Tilak Varma closed in on Travis Head's top spot in T20I batting by going up from third place to No. 2
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:52:07 GMT
Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Atharva Ankolekar and Suryansh Shedge return for their last league game of the season
Wed, 29 Jan 2025 03:28:46 GMT
Varun Chakravarthy takes five in losing cause after Ben Duckett fifty helps set up winning total
Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:33:05 GMT
Visitors are clear underdogs against an Indian side that has lost only two of the 17 T20Is since their T20 World Cup triumph
Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:30:40 GMT
The India batter has confirmed his availability for Delhi's next match starting on January 30
Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:58:50 GMT
ICC says tickets will go on sale for the final only after the conclusion of the first semi-final, scheduled on March 4
Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:41:05 GMT
Highlights from the final day of sixth round of matches
Sun, 26 Jan 2025 14:50:03 GMT
The batting allrounder has recovered from the shoulder injury that put him out of the T20Is in South Africa and the ongoing series against England
Sun, 26 Jan 2025 03:46:53 GMT
England were proactive and stayed in the game but could not dislodge India's No. 3
Sat, 25 Jan 2025 14:41:24 GMT
Highlights from Day 3 of the sixth round of Ranji Trophy matches
Sat, 25 Jan 2025 12:27:58 GMT
Reddy has a side strain, while Rinku experienced lower-back spasms during the first T20I against England
Sun, 26 Jan 2025 04:04:45 GMT
For India, a large part of the focus will once again be on Mohammed Shami's fitness - will he finally be good to go?
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 18:54:06 GMT
Vice-captain hopes England can bounce back in clearer conditions in Chennai on Saturday
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:17:00 GMT
R Smaran, meanwhile, turned a maiden first-class ton into a double as Karnataka ground Punjab into the dust
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:49:43 GMT
"It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes, and think correctly at the right moment"
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 02:42:52 GMT
Rohit is now averaging 10.43 across 16 innings in first-class cricket in the 2024-25 season
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:55:47 GMT
Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed, meanwhile, had memorable outings with the ball
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:17:05 GMT
After the spinners limited England to 132, India's batters aced the chase to go 1-0 up
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 03:50:21 GMT
"That was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it"
Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:15:28 GMT
The captains event is tentatively scheduled around February 16 or 17 in Karachi
Wed, 22 Jan 2025 09:28:13 GMT
Mumbai captain Rahane said the return of Rohit and Jaiswal would add a lot of value in the dressing room too
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:23:42 GMT
The two teams are in transition, but there's plenty of firepower in both sides for what should be a high-scoring series
Wed, 22 Jan 2025 02:05:08 GMT
With Hardik Pandya losing the India vice-captaincy, and set to lead T20I captain Suryakumar Kumar at the IPL, could it make for a strained relationship? Not at all, says Suryakumar
Mon, 20 Jan 2025 18:15:41 GMT
It will be Kohli's first appearance in the Ranji Trophy in 12 years
Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:19:30 GMT
India's newly appointed T20I vice-captain has suggested that only the openers' roles will be fixed
Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:36:43 GMT
England take on T20 World Cup champions in five-match series to start new coach's tenure
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:05:01 GMT
The quick was spotted with some protection on his knee but nearly hit full tilt towards the end of his training session
Sun, 19 Jan 2025 16:08:15 GMT
The ten-point policy document was sent out to associations that will be hosting India-England games, PTI reported; the first T20I is in Kolkata, where India began training on Sunday
Sun, 19 Jan 2025 09:21:09 GMT
Sri Lanka began with a huge win against Malaysia before India brushed West Indies aside in the evening game
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 17:22:55 GMT
He has been picked in India's Champions Trophy squad, subject to fitness
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 17:22:06 GMT
Mohammed Siraj has lost his place to Arshdeep Singh in India's 15-man squad
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 17:20:52 GMT
Rohit heard telling chief selector Agarkar that his team-mates had expressed concerns over some of the guidelines, including the travel restrictions on families
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 16:51:35 GMT
Dhruv Shorey's run-a-ball hundred in vain for Vidarbha
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:41:20 GMT
The next round is from January 23, and will also see Pant, Jadeja and Gill in action
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 04:08:20 GMT
India are going to announce their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Saturday
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:21:32 GMT
The BCCI announced he will sit in as captain on the press conference scheduled for January 18, when the two squads will be named
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:22:22 GMT
The guidelines come with a warning that "non-compliance" could result not just in disciplinary action, but heavier sanctions including exclusion from domestic cricket and IPL
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:59:46 GMT
Bengaluru and Lucknow are the other two venues for the five-team tournament
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:04:01 GMT
Kotak has been head coach of several India A tours, and served as assistant coach to Laxman during the Ireland T20Is, and has been a batting coach at the NCA since 2019
Top