Pakistan will take on Nepal in the first match of the Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday (August 30). Pakistan will host four matches and nine matches will be played in Sri Lanka. Except for India, the rest of the five teams will play games in Pakistan. This will also be the first time Nepal will be participating in the Continental Cup.

Pakistan warmed for the Asia Cup by defeating Afghanistan 3-0 in the ODI series. Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan performed well and won some close matches. Both sides will aim to kickstart their campaign with a win before going forward.

Read Also: Asia Cup 2023: Squads of all the teams

Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Nepal Match Preview

Match Details

• Match: Pakistan vs Nepal
• Date: 30/08/2023
• Time: 3:00 PM (IST)
• Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan
• Where to watch: Star Sports Network & Disney + Hotstar

Venue | Pitch Report | Weather

The Multan Cricket Stadium is a batting-friendly surface and is expected to assist the batters. Pacers might get some help towards the latter half of the match while spinners may come in handy in the middle overs. Reverse swing might also disturb the batters, so they need to keep an eye on the ball. Teams winning the toss might choose to chase the total, with the average first innings total being 239. 

Multan Cricket Stadium:

• Total ODI Matches: 10
• Matches won batting first: 5
• Matches won bowling first: 5
• Average first innings score: 254
• Average second innings score: 206
• Highest total scored: 323/3 by Pakistan vs Bangladesh
• Highest score chased: 306/5 by Pakistan vs West Indies

Pakistan vs Nepal | Head-to-Head

Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Nepal | Team News

Pakistan

Pakistan announced their playing XI on Tuesday. They picked three fast bowlers - Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf and two spin-bowling allrounders - Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Wasim are not included in the playing XI, who took a four-wicket haul for Pakistan A against Nepal during the Emerging Cup in July. Pakistan are beginning to put together a promising ODI middle order, and a lot of the credit for this must go to Agha Salman, who has a 40-plus average and a 100-plus strike rate after his first 14 games. He will be a key player for Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 and the upcoming World Cup 2023.

Nepal

After winning the ODI status in 2018, Nepal are now ranked 15th in the format. They are so close to achieving even bigger dreams given that the next ODI World Cup, in 2027, will feature 14 teams. Sompal Kami's participation in the World Cup qualifier was cut short by a hand injury. He sustained that injury during Nepal's match against Zimbabwe. He will make his ODI return and lead their pace attack alongside Karan KC. Dipendra Singh Airee comes into the Asia Cup with a fair amount of confidence behind him. The middle-order batter impressed at the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe in July.

Pakistan vs Nepal | Possible XI

Pakistan:

• FK Zaman
• Babar Azam (C)
• IU Haq
• SH Khan
• Iftikhar Ahmed
• Mohammad Nawaz
• Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
• S Afridi
• Haris Rauf
• Naseem Shah
• Usama Mir

Nepal:

• Aarif Sheikh
• B Sharki
• Rohit Kumar Paudel (C)
• K Bhurtel
• Dipendra Singh Airee
• Kushal Malla
• Arjun Saud (wk)
• Lalit Rajbanshi
• Gulshan Kumar Jha
• Sandeep Lamichhane
• K Mahato

Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Nepal | Dream XI Team Prediction

In a dramatic turn of events, overseas players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) faced harrowing experiences due to escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to the indefinite postponement of the tournament.

The crisis, sparked by India’s strategic response to a terror attack in Palalgam on May 7, 2025, which claimed 26 civilian lives, left players like New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell vowing never to return to Pakistan and England’s Tom Curran in tears after a close call at the airport.

Read Also | In a first, 10 UAE batters retire out in ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025

PSL Halted Amid Regional Tensions

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially planned to relocate the remaining PSL matches to the UAE after tensions escalated. However, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) rejected the proposal, leaving the PCB with no choice but to cancel the tournament.

The announcement came shortly after the BCCI postponed the IPL for a week due to the same geopolitical concerns.

Overseas players were swiftly evacuated to Dubai via charter flights, from where they caught connecting flights to their home countries. Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, part of the Lahore Qalandars squad, recounted the terrifying ordeal, revealing that the airport they departed from was struck by a missile just 20 minutes after their plane took off.

“After landing in Dubai, we heard that a missile struck the airport 20 minutes after we left. The news was scary and sorrowful, but we felt relieved to be safe in Dubai,” Rishad told Cricbuzz.

Read Also | Foreign players asked to return to their country as IPL 2025 postponed for a week due to India-Pakistan tension

Daryl Mitchell’s Vow and Tom Curran’s Distress

Rishad shared the palpable fear among foreign players, including Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kushal Perera, David Wiese, and Tom Curran.

“Landing in Dubai, Mitchell told me he would never go to Pakistan again, especially in this kind of scenario. They were all horrified,” Rishad said.

Recounting Tom Curran’s emotional breakdown, Rishad added, “Tom went to the airport, but heard it was closed. He started crying like a little child, and it took two or three people to console him.”

Read Also | India-Pakistan War: How Indian athletes reacted to it

Family Worries and Player Anxieties

Rishad also spoke about the anxiety his family felt during the crisis. “Whenever I play, my family worries about the situation. When they heard about the bomb blasts and missile strikes in Pakistan, they were naturally tense. I tried to console them and assure them I was safe,” he said.

PCB’s Failed Attempt to Salvage the Tournament

According to Rishad, the PCB chairman attempted to convince players to continue the tournament in Karachi, downplaying the severity of the situation.

“The chairman tried to hide that there were two drone attacks the day before, which we later learned about. Almost all foreign players agreed that Dubai was the only safe option,” Rishad revealed.

The PCB eventually facilitated the players’ safe evacuation to Dubai, a move Rishad credited to the board’s efforts. “Thanks to the PCB chairman and the Pakistan Cricket Board, we reached Dubai safely by the grace of Almighty Allah,” he said.

RCB star batter Virat Kohli has passed Chris Gayle with the second most fifty plus scores in T20s. Kohli achieved this milestone during the IPL 2025 match against Rajasthan Royals at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He came into the game tallying 110-fifties and struck another beautiful half-century with the bat-off just 32 balls, enabling his side to a grand start. Now at 111 fifty-plus scores, Kohli trails only David Warner, who scores a total of 117.

Let's take a look at the batters who have scored the most fifty plus scores in T20s.

Also Read: Top 5 game-changing factors that could send MI to IPL 2025 Playoffs

Most Fifty Plus Scores in T20s

4. Babar Azam | 102

Babar Azam is known as a model of consistency in T20 cricket. The brilliant right-hander has scored over 11,000 runs in his T20 career, including 91 fifties and 11 centuries, and has scored fifty plus runs a total of 102 times.

This remarkable record puts him fourth in the all-time list of most fifty plus scores in T20s, which shows his dominance and reliability in the shortest format for Pakistan in international cricket and other franchises around the world.

3. Chris Gayle | 110

The Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, is one of the prominent names to have scored the most 50+ scores in the shortest format of cricket. Arguably the first global superstar of this format, Gayle's explosive batting has made a splash in many T20 games over the years.

With a record 22 T20 centuries and 88 fifties, his record of scoring 110 fifty plus scores ranks third in T20 cricket history.

2. Virat Kohli | 111

Virat Kohli, the reigning king of the cricket world, is now second in terms of all-time T20 fifty-plus scores after another brilliant half-century in the IPL 2025 match against Rajasthan Royals. With 111 fifty plus scores, Kohli continues to be the epitome of consistency.

From taking Team India to the T20 World Cup for years to being the heartbeat of RCB, Kohli has always performed well. Now that he is in the twilight of his career, the world is eagerly waiting to see what magic is still left in Kohli.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Fewest Innings to Reach 5000 IPL Runs

1. David Warner | 117

David Warner tops the list of fifty plus scores in T20 cricket. He has 117 fifty plus scores in T20 cricket. Warner also scored most half centuries in T20 cricket, smashing 109 fifties. The explosive left-hander from Australia has been the epitome of consistency right from his early T20 days.

Warner is always hungry for runs, whether representing Australia or leading Sunrisers Hyderabad. He’s still going strong across various leagues, and we can expect him to add even more to this record.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi just broke the record for being the youngest ever IPL debutant at the age of 14 years and 23 days. The young left-handed batter created the record when he came as an impact player for the Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. With this, he became the 10th player to make an IPL debut before turning 18. 

Who was the first player to make an IPL debut before turning 18?

Pradeep Sangwan, at the age of 17 years, 179 days, became the first ever player in IPL to make a debut before turning 18. The left-arm pacer was fresh from the U-19 World Cup victory under Virat Kohli.

Sangwan made his IPL debut for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the inaugural season in 2008. 

Who is the youngest player ever in IPL history?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is now the youngest player ever in IPL history. He made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants at the age of 14 years and 23 days old. He broke the record of Prayas Ray Barman, who held the record for becoming the youngest IPL debutant for a long time.

Read Also | Exclusive | "He has the intent to play at the highest level," Bihar head coach on Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Players to make IPL debut before turning 18

Till now, 10 players have made their IPL debut before turning 18. Here are all the teenage sensations who made their IPL debut even before earning their voter card. Interestingly, all the players on this list are Indian.

1. Pradeep Sangwan (17 years, 179 days, DD (now DC), 2008)

The left-arm pacer from Delhi was the first player ever in Indian Premier League history to make his debut before turning 18. After a sensational ICC Men's U-19 World Cup 2008, Delhi Daredevils gave him a contract. Sangwan made his debut at the age of 17 years, 179 days and has played 42 IPL games since then, taking only 38 wickets. 

Read Also | IPL records: 5 youngest centurion in IPL

2. Sarfaraz Khan (17 years, 177 days, RCB, 2015)

Sarfraz Khan became one of the talking points of IPL 2015 when he made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the age of 17 years, 177 days. His incredible debut against Chennai Super Kings even made Virat Kohli bow down to him, after he scored a quick 11 from 7 balls at the fag end of the inning. 

3. Rahul Chahar (17y 247d, RPS, 2017)

After a good Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2016-17 season, Rahul Chahar was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant for 10 lakhs and was handed a debut for them at the age of 17y 247d. The leg spinner, though, got his success playing for the Mumbai Indians after joining them in 2018. 

Read Also | "Everything was too early for me; I have learned from the mistakes and am ready for that level now:" Prayas Ray Barman on his career after IPL

Other players who made their IPL debut before turning 18

1. Washington Sundar (17 years, 199 days, RPS, 2017)
2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (17 years 11 days, KXIP (now PBKS), 2018)
3. Abhishek Sharma (17y 250d, DD (now DC), 2018)
4. Sandeep Lamichhane (17y 283d, DD (now DC), 2018)
5. Riyan Parag (17 years, 152 days, RR, 2019)
6. Prayas Ray Barman (16 years and 157 days, RCB, 2019)
7. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14 years and 23 days, RR, 2025)

You can now play this IPL quiz to check if you remember all the names accurately or not. 

Indian team's star batsman Virat Kohli scored a brilliant half-century in the match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. The former captain, who is in great form, became the first Indian to score 100 half-centuries in T20 cricket. 

The Indian stalwart entered the exclusive club, which solely featured David Warner as its sole member. The former Australia star boasts a staggering 108 half-centuries in the T20 format.

Also Read: Most Wickets in 1st Over of IPL

Let's take a look at the batters with most gifties in T20 cricket.

Most Fifties in T20 Cricket

5. Jos Buttler | 86

The England batter Jos Buttler has a fantastic record in the shortest format and has featured in franchise cricket all around the world. Buttler is a part of the Gujarat Titans side in the ongoing IPL season. He has so far played 440 matches in T20 cricket, scoring a total of 12,331 runs with 8 hundreds and the highest individual score of 124.

4. Chris Gayle | 88

The explosive West Indies batter Chris Gayle has played franchise cricket all around the world and has also featured a lot for the national side in the shortest format. Gayle has played 463 matches in T20 cricket, scoring a total of 14,562 runs with 22 centuries and the highest individual score 175*.

3. Babar Azam | 90

The Pakistan batter has not only played a lot of T20 cricket for the national side, but has also featured a lot in franchise cricket. Babar has so far played 311 matches in the format, scoring a total of 11,042 runs with 11 hundreds and the highest individual score of 122.

2. Virat Kohli | 100*

The India star batter Virat Kohli scored his 100th half-century in T20 cricket during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's clash against the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. Kohli has so far played 405 matches in the format, scoring a total of 13,134 runs with 9 centuries and the highest individual score of 122*.

Also Read: Most Fifties (and over) in IPL History

1. David Warner | 108

The former Australia batter David Warner has played a total of 400 matches in T20 cricket, scoring a massive 12,925 runs. Along with a humongous number of half-centuries, Warner also has 8 centuries under his name in the format with the highest individual score of 135*.

Hello and welcome back to another LIVE coverage from Sportz Point. Today, we will cover the most highly-anticipated match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group Stage; as the Indian Cricket Team will take on the eternal arch-rivals Pakistan Cricket Team at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The iconic India vs Pakistan face-off always offers memorable moments and epic cricketing dramas. India will come to this game after a convincing victory over Bangladesh in their opening group game. On the contrary, Pakistan faced a tough defeat against New Zealand in their opening match.

Read Also | Champions Trophy 2025: India vs Pakistan match preview

Another chapter of this storied rivalry is set to be written today and we are about to witness that! So just relax and enjoy the epic clash as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary of the epic India vs Pakistan match in the ICC CT '25.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, with the build-up. Later on, Payal Debnath and Koushik Biswas will take over to bring you all the LIVE Updates from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.