Nepal vs United Arab Emirates, ICC CWCLT 2019-22, Today Match Prediction 16 March 2023

nep vs uae Match Prediction & Analysis

Two crushing wins against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have taken Nepal into 4th place on the table in CWC League 2 and almost secured their spot in the Associate top-flight for another cycle. Another win against the UAE in the final match of the competition on Thursday would see them pass Namibia and claim 3rd place on the League 2 table. This would mean direct progression to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nepal Preview

Nepal are on an incredible winning spree, clinching 10 of their last 11 games. Their last four victories have been comprehensive, and Nepal would be confident of vanquishing the UAE in their final league game.

Aasif Sheikh has led the batting charts for Nepal in the competition, scoring 934 runs in 29 matches at an average of 34.59 with 1 hundred and 7 fifties. The opener has been one of the most consistent batters in the tournament and is coming off an unbeaten 53 in his previous game against PNG.

Captain Rohit Paudel (893 runs in 32 matches at an average of 34.34) and Kushal Bhurtel (631 runs in 28 matches at an average of 22.53) are the other two batters worth keeping an eye out for.

The return of Sandeep Lamichhane has paid instant dividends for Nepal. The star leg-spinner has taken 12 wickets in just 4 games since his return to the CWC League 2 series, including a 5-for in the previous match against PNG. Lamichhane now has taken his tally of wickets to 71 – the second-highest in the competition. We also think that right-arm fast bowler Karan KC (50 wickets at an average of 22.06) will do well in this game.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel (c), Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Lalit Rajbanshi

Nepal Actual Playing XI:

Kushal Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Dipendra Singh Airee, Bhim Sharki, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Aarif Sheikh, Sandeep Lamichhane

United Arab Emirates Preview

The UAE are coming off a comprehensive 6-wicket win against Papua New Guinea. However, even if they win their final match, they will finish sixth in CWC League 2 due to a poor head-to-head record against the USA, who are guaranteed to finish 5th. Finishing 6th here means UAE’s ODI status will be in jeopardy at next month's CWC Qualifier Playoff in Namibia. 

Captain Muhammad Waseem, who blasted a brilliant 119 in the previous game against PNG, will be the man to watch out for. He looked in great touch and could well carry over his form to this game. 

Vriitya Aravind, with 953 runs in 33 matches at an average of 30.74, leads the batting charts for the UAE in the competition. Chundangapoyil Rizwan (632 runs in 30 matches at an average of 28.72) and Rohan Mustafa (545 runs in 30 matches at an average of 25.95) are the other two consistent batters worth betting on.

Right-arm quick Zahoor Khan (40 wickets in 26 matches at an economy of 4.71) and off-spinner Rohan Mustafa (32 wickets in 30 matches at an economy of 4.26) have been UAE’s most successful bowlers in the league. Hazrat Bilal, playing only his third game of the tournament, produced figures of 4-47 against PNG the other night. The right-arm fast bowler could prove to be a surprise package against Nepal.

United Arab Emirates Predicted Playing XI:

Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Aryan Lakra, Muhammad Waseem (c), Aayan Afzal Khan, Rohan Mustafa, Ashwanth Chidambaram (wk), Zawar Farid, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Hazrat Bilal, Zahoor Khan

United Arab Emirates Actual Playing XI:

Rohan Mustafa, Chundangapoyil Rizwan, Hazrat Bilal, Mohammad Waseem, Aryan Lakra, Zahoor Khan, Aayan Khan, Asif Khan, Ashwanth Valthappa, Junaid Siddique, Vriitya Aravind

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Tribhuvan University International in Kirtipur offers something both for the batters and bowlers. Seamers do get assistance here while it’s great for spin bowlers. In the match played between PNG and Nepal here on the 13th of March, leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane ripped through the opposition with figures of 5-25. However, once the pitch settles down, batters will have the opportunity to make runs.

The weather in Kirtipur during the game will be cloudy and pleasant.

 

Venue Details

The average 1st innings score at the Tribhuvan University International this year in ODIs is 230. The highest total posted at the venue in CWC League 2 is 297 by Nepal. The pitch appears to be slowing down a little and the team batting first in this match should look to set a target of around 250-260 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

The last two matches played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground have been won comfortably by the team chasing. We think the team winning the toss is likely to field first in this game.