India Predicted Playing 11 vs Nepal for Match 5 of Asia Cup 2023

Team India will look to notch up their first win of the Asia Cup 2023 when they lock horns with Nepal in Pallekele on Monday, September 4.

The Men in Blue will progress to the Super Four stage with a win against Nepal, who were beaten by Pakistan in their first match of the tournament. A point will also suffice, with rain being predicted.

News filtered in on Sunday that Jasprit Bumrah has flown back home for personal reasons and will miss India's final group-stage clash. Rohit Sharma and the team management shouldn't have too many problems finding a replacement, though.

India's squad for Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah (unavailable aginst Nepal), Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, KL Rahul (wk, unavailable for the group stage).

Here is India's predicted playing XI for their Asia Cup 2023 clash against Nepal.

---

Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Shubman Gill

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma was castled by Shaheen Afridi in the previous game

India's openers endured a torrid time in their first outing of the ongoing Asia Cup, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah running rings around them in an exceptional display of new-ball bowling.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will need to get their act together and come up with meaningful contributions at the top of the order. Gill, in particular, has some pressure on his shoulders, having been unimpressive at the international level for a couple of months now.

---

Middle order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Ishan Kishan (wk)

Virat Kohli failed to deliver in India's Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan

India are unlikely to make any changes to their middle order, with KL Rahul still unavailable.

Virat Kohli, who fortunately retained his No. 3 spot against Pakistan despite certain reports suggesting otherwise, will want to spend some time in the middle and play himself into form ahead of the Super Four stage.

Shreyas Lyer looked good in the few minutes he spent at the crease in the previous game. With none of the Nepal bowlers having the pace to trouble him with the short ball, the batter will be keen on getting some deliveries under his belt as he continues to reach peak condition following a long spell on the sidelines.

Ishan Kishan's success against Pakistan was a welcome sign for Team India, who have been searching for a left-hander who can take on spin in the middle order. In fact, another positive display or two could even tempt the team management into considering making the southpaw the first-choice keeper ahead of Rahul.

---

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur

Hardik Pandya is worth his weight in gold in the ODI format

Hardik Pandya is worth his weight in the ODI format. He broke a run of scratchy form with the bat with an invaluable knock against Pakistan and will look to make an impact in the bowling department as well, should he get the chance to do so.

Ravindra Jadeja looked uncomfortable out in the middle in the previous game, but he is one of India's most important ODI players and is bound to come out good soon. Shardul Thakur, meanwhile, always promises entertainment, whether it's through wickets or runs.

---

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav could relish bowling to Nepal's batters, who wouldn't have faced him before

India will likely make a straightforward swap for Bumrah by fielding Mohammed Shami. The experienced fast bowler's recent ODI numbers don't look too promising, but he's likely to be backed ahead of Prasidh Krishna, who is arguably a better option.

Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav didn't get a chance to bowl against Pakistan. They will be keen on continuing their excellent form by running through the Nepal batting lineup.