India aim to top as they take on Nepal in ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2016

On paper, an India versus Nepal cricketing contest should have been declared as a mismatch but the teenagers from the Himalayan nation have been the ‘surprise package’ of the tournament so far, defeating New Zealand and Ireland with minimum fuss. The likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Avesh Khan, Rishabh Pant will need to maintain the same intensity as Nepal could well prove to be a proverbial banana skin for the three-time champions. The country may have been ravaged by earthquake last year but that could not dampen the spirits of the immensely talented bunch of Nepalese boys, who have shown that they can punch above their weight with limited facilities. READ: ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2016: Nepal notch up their second consecutive victory

The likes of captain Raju Rijal and leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichane, who took a hat-trick against Ireland yesterday, have trained at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Academy in Dharamsala after their own cricket academy in Kathmandu was deemed unfit for training due to damages caused by earthquake. For India, it has been a smooth sailing so far save a bit of worry regarding skipper Ishan Kishan’s poor form. Kishan has not scored in both matches. However the ‘experienced’ Sarfaraz with a couple of 74s to his credit would again like to score big before the knock-outs. The normally flashy Rishabh also curbed his natural instincts during his half-century against the Kiwis. Spin bowling all-rounder Mahipal Lomror has also been consistent in both departments. The bowling will be led by the 6 feet 2 inch Madhya Pradesh lad Avesh Khan, who has been posing problems with his in-cutters.