While the Winter Olympics light up Milano-Cortina this month, Italy’s cricketers are carving out a moment of their own thousands of miles away. Making their Cricket World Cup debut, Italy now face Nepal, another nation synonymous with imposing mountain peaks in a crucial Group clash.
Nepal’s tournament opener against England at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium felt almost like a home fixture. The stands were awash with Nepali supporters, many traveling long distances and others crossing over from India to cheer their team on. Buoyed by that passionate backing, Nepal pushed a far-fancied England side to the brink, taking the chase deep into the final over in a thrilling contest.
Also Read: Ian Bishop ‘checks the dew’ as West Indies soak England
Though they fell short, Nepal made a statement. With England having since lost to the West Indies, the group has opened up, and progression remains firmly within reach.
Italy, meanwhile, admitted that nerves played a part in their opening defeat to Scotland. The debutants showed flashes of promise but struggled to maintain consistency in key phases. At this level, even brief lapses can prove costly.
They could also be without captain Wayne Madsen, who suffered an injury while fielding in the opener. Whether he returns or not, Italy will need to be sharper and more clinical to stay alive in the competition.
While defeat would not mathematically eliminate either side, two losses in as many games would leave the vanquished needing nothing short of a miracle to advance. For two winless teams, this shapes up as a virtual must-win encounter.
Probable XIs
Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi.
Italy: Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (c), Ben Manenti, Marcus Campopiano, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan.
Comments are closed.