West Indies vs Nepal, ICC WCQ 2023, Today Match Prediction

win vs nep Match Prediction & Analysis

West Indies have started the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers with a solid win over the USA. They are currently second in the Group A table with 2 points and a net run rate of 0.780. Their next match in the competition is against Nepal, a team they have never faced before. Nepal have played two games so far in the qualifiers, winning one and losing one. They are third on the table with 2 points and a net run rate of 0.099. Suffice to say, the team that wins this match will move into second place. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

West Indies Preview

West Indies have picked up some good ODI form of late, winning four of their last five games. In their first match of the qualifiers, the Windies were struggling at 14-2 from 6 overs at one stage; however, the middle-order came to the rescue and helped the team post a formidable 297 on the board. Johnson Charles (66 off 80 balls), Shai Hope (54 off 60 balls), Roston Chase (55 off 55 balls), and Jason Holder (56 off 40 balls) all struck important fifties. Even Nicholas Pooran’s 43 off 28 balls helped things move along at a nice clip.

This shows just how strong West Indies' middle-order is. Let’s not forget they also have Rovman Powell in there, who can really strike it. Another batter to keep an eye out for is Brandon King, who has 323 runs in his last 8 matches at an average of 40.37 and a strike rate of 96.13.

West Indies have a pretty good bowling unit. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (13 wickets in the last 8 matches at an economy of 5.83) will pose the biggest threat to the Nepal batters. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (11 wickets in the last 7 matches at an economy of 5.12) is expected to keep things tight and hold one end.

West Indies Predicted Playing XI:

Kyle Mayers, Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph

West Indies Actual Playing XI:

Brandon King, Akeal Hosein, Nicholas Pooran, Johnson Charles, Rovman Powell, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shai Hope, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph

Nepal Preview

After being thumped by Zimbabwe in their first game, Nepal made a defiant comeback in their next match against the USA at Takashinga Sports Club. A devastating spell of 4-33 medium pacer Karan KC broke USA’s back and they could only muster 207. Nepal were rarely troubled in the chase, with Bhim Sharki (77* off 114 balls) and Dipendra Singh Airee (39* off 32 balls) ensuring they got to the target comfortably, with 7 overs remaining. 

Facing off against this strong West Indian side, however, will be a different challenge. While Nepal will be counting on Bhim Sharki to continue his rich form, another batter to watch out for is Aasif Sheikh, who has scored 341 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 42.62 and a strike-rate of 81.57. Opener Kushal Bhurtel has made 469 runs in 15 ODIs in 2023 with one century and three fifties. He too might play a crucial role in this match.

Apart from Karan KC, the bowlers who are expected to do well in this match for Nepal are Lalit Rajbanshi (14 wickets in the last 6 matches at an economy of just 2.27) and Sandeep Lamichhane (19 wickets in the last 10 matches at an economy of 4.97). West Indian batters are known to struggle against spin, and if these two spinners find some grip in the middle overs, they can really make life difficult for them.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

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

Nepal Actual Playing XI:

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

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

As we have seen in the matches played at the Harare Sports Club in the tournament, the pitch here usually favors the seamers who can get a good bounce and movement off the surface, particularly during the first ten overs or thereabouts. West Indies and the USA were both rocked early by devastating spells from seam bowlers, and we can expect pacers to do well in this match as well. Typically, spinners do not receive much assistance from the Harare pitch, but they can still be effective by maintaining a tight line and length.

The weather in Harare during the match is expected to be clear and pleasant, with plenty of sunshine. 

Venue Details

The average 1st innings score at the Harare Sports Club is 231. The highest total posted here is 350-6 by Australia against Zimbabwe in 2014. In the qualifiers, two totals over 300 have been already posted at the venue, along with three totals in the 290s. The team batting first in this match must look to set a target of around 280-300 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

Out of the four matches played at the Harare Sports Club in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, three have been won by the teams chasing. It goes without saying that the team winning the toss in this match is likely to field first.