Nepal will look to play their best form of cricket when they take on Test giants and hosts Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ACC U-19 Asia Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Thursday. 

The two teams are meeting each for the third time in their age group cricket history as Sri Lanka head into the match as the favourites being a Test nation that has better cricketing history and culture. Nepal coach Binod Das wants his boys to play the best cricket they know irrespective of the final outcome. 

“I can only guess that they will be a tough team to beat in their own conditions. But we are here to play to the best of our ability And if we manage to do that, we might surprise a few teams,” said Das whose team had lost to Sri Lanka by nine wickets when Nepal reached Super Eight of the tournament in their debut U-19 World Cup in 2000.

Das said his side is expecting decent conditions. “The weather is a lot hotter than in Kathmandu but the wicket should be better. We are playing at club grounds where Sri Lanka play most of their first class games, so we are expecting a decent playing conditions,” the coach added.

In Group ‘A’ that also includes another Test heavyweight India and fellow Associates Malaysia, an unlikely upset win over the hosts can open up Nepal’s chances of being in the semi-finals. Nepal have so far crashed out from group stage of the tournament in the first two editions.

Coach Das, however, wanted to keep the morale of his boys high. “Nepali U-19 cricket has a glorious history. We have beaten heavyweights like South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh in the past and there in no reason we can’t repeat it again here,” said Das.

At the spinning track of Nondescripts Cricket Club, Das is likely to pack his bowling attack with spinners led by skipper Sandeep Lamichhane. Allrounders Pawan Sharraf and Suwarnakar Uraw are expected to join their skipper as spinners. Nandan Yadav can be used as the lone pace bowler supported by two other fast bowling allrounders Dipendra Airee and Kamal Airee.

Nepal’s batting department will be led by new-found talent Aasif Sheikh, who will open the innings with experienced Sandeep Sunar. Sunar is one of the three cricketers in the current squad who played the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Lamichhane and Dipendra are the other two.

Rabindra Jung Shahi, Aadil Khan, Anil Sah and Bhim Sarki are four other batsmen tasked to lead Nepal’s batting charge. In another Group ‘A’ match, India will play Maldives, while in Group ‘B’ Afghanistan will play Bangladesh and Pakistan take on Singapore.