Picture Credit: Twitter

Picture Credit: Twitter

Nepal has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2023, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 19. Regular captain Rohit Paudel will lead the 15-man squad, which will aim to get the first gold medal for their nation. 


Also Read: Asian Games 2023: Dates, Venue, Schedule, List of Indian athletes, Live Streaming and More


Notably, cricket makes a return in the Games and will be played in the T20I format. The Asian country which marked its maiden appearance in the Asia Cup 2023, has made changes to their 15-member squad. Avinash Bohara, Binod Bhandari, and Bibek Yadav have been called back to the side, while the ODI team’s regular members, Gyanendra Malla, Bhim Sharki, and Aarif Sheikh miss out.


Nepal last played a T20I match against Kenya in August 2022 and is set to host the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier. Although Nepal failed to win a game at the 2023 Asia Cup, it was a great milestone for the nation, and the experience against the top teams will certainly help the players. 


The Rohit Paudel-led side are slotted in Group A with the Maldives and Mongolia. They will face Mongolia at the ZJUT Cricket Field on Wednesday, September 27, and Maldives on October 1. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh have already earned their spots in the quarterfinals, where they will face additional teams that progress from the first round.


Nepal Squad:

Rohit Paudel (C), Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Sandeep Jora, Binod Bhandari, Dipendra Singh Airee, Bibek Yadav, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Pratish GC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Avinash Bohara.