Nepal will play their final group stage match of ACC T20 Cup against Singapore today at Tribhuvan International Cricket Ground.
Nepal with yesterday’s win against Malaysia is almost sure of semi-final berth. Nepal is ranked second in the Group B points table with 2 wins in 3 matches(and rank is likely to be maintained regardless of the result of todays’s match) while Singapore are in the bottom of the points table with 3 losses in a row.
Nepal would certainly like to send a message to the stronger teams with a massive win against Singapore-already knocked out of the tournament and playing with nothing to loose, the only objective Singapore can achieve is spoiling the party for their opponents, and they will be hoping to do exactly that denting Nepali players confidence just before the semi-final.
Nepal on the other hand is overwhelmed by their fast bowling misery.
“I am not satisfied with the fast bowling”, coach Dassanayeke said in the post match interview. “We still have a day to think and we will come with the best combination” he added. It’s very likely that there will be a change in the fast balling department-with both fast bowlers failing Nepal might also go into all spin attack as they did in ACC Elite Cup.
Pradeep not being able to perform in last two matches might give Anil Mandal a T20 Cap.
Past Results
Nepal has never lost a match against Singapore. The senior side of the two team first met in ACC Fast Track Trophy in 2004, and till today played 3 Three day matches, 4 One day matches and a single T20 match, Nepal always the convincing winners.
Singapore lost to Nepal by 16 runs in the ICC Division V held in Nepal in 2010 and that the closest Singapore has gotten to a victory against Nepal-yet another example of Crisis man Basant Regmi’s rescue who scored 54 runs and picked 2 wickets to ensure Nepal win.
Singapore retains Shoiab Razzaq from the 2004 Squad that played against Nepal, while Nepal’s current Internationals Sharad, Paras, Shakti and Sangam were featured in that match as well.
| Matches | Nepal | Singapore | |
| 3 day | 3 | 1 | 0* |
| One day | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
*2 matches drawn
The only T20 match between these two teams was played in the second edition of the ACC T20 Cup, held in UAE for the 5/6th Play-offs in 2009: Singapore was then defeated comprehensively by 9 wickets. Singapore had set a target of 90 runs for Nepal, with Dipendra Chaudary top scoring for Nepal with 49 Nepal got to the total in less than 13 overs.
Singapore Squad:
Abhiraj Singh, Amjad Mahboob, M Dharmichand, R Ganjavi, Irfan Madakia, Arul Param, PVSS Raja, V Shivarama, Shoiab Razzaq, CR Suryabansi, Chaminda Ruwan Kuramange, KB Singhde, Irfan Madakia, A Mutreja
Players to watch out
Chaminda Ruwan Kuramange scored 57 against Hong Kong yesterday. His 47 against Singapore helped his team to post a massive target. He top–scored for his team with 18 runs in the only T20 matches Nepal and Singapore have played.
Abhiraj Singh, 17 yr old left arm bowler has 5 wickets in the tournament. He bowled an impressive spell of 4-0-15-2 against mighty Hong Kong.
Anis E Param is a talented batsmen, aged 22 he has been in the National squad for pretty long. He top scored for his team against Nepal in 2010 Division-V, held in Kathmandu and 2012 Division-IV held in Malaysia with 41 and 31 respectively.
