Kathmandu: In an Asia Cup 2023 match played today in Sri Lanka, Nepal suffered a defeat at the hands of India by 10 wickets. The match was reduced to 23 overs per side due to rain, with India successfully chasing down the revised target of 145 runs.

India's openers, Captain Rohit Sharma and Subhman Gill, played crucial roles in India's victory. Captain Sharma remained not out with 74 runs off 59 balls, while Gill scored an unbeaten 67 runs off 62 balls. With this win, India secured a spot in the Super 4s of the regional tournament organized by the Asian Cricket Council.

Nepal, playing its second international match and the first against India, had set a target of 231 runs for India. However, the rain-interrupted match saw India chasing 145 runs in 23 overs after Duckworth-Lewis adjustments.

Despite their best efforts, none of Nepal's seven bowlers could secure a wicket. Kushal Malla was the most economical, conceding 11 runs in 3 overs.

Before the rain interruption, India had scored 17 runs in 2.1 overs. Captain Rohit Sharma was batting at 4 runs, while Subhman Gill had scored 12 in 6 balls when the match was halted.

In Nepal's innings, Aasif Sheikh top-scored with 58 runs off 97 balls before being caught by Mohammad Siraj. Gulshan Jha contributed 23 runs in 35 balls. Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee added 50 runs for the 7th wicket partnership, with Sompal Kami scoring 48 runs in 56 balls and Airee contributing 29 runs off 25 balls.

For India, Rabindra Jadeja claimed 3 wickets, Mohammad Siraj took 2 wickets, and Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Sami, and Hardik Pandya each took 1 wicket.

With two losses in two games, Nepal is now out of the competition and will not advance further in the Asia Cup 2023. This match marked the first-ever international encounter between neighboring nations Nepal and India and only the second international match in Nepal's ODI history. Nepal previously lost to Pakistan by 238 runs in their opening match in Multan, Pakistan.