Looking for Pak vs Nep head-to-head records and other stats? Pakistan and Nepal are all set to face each other in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday, August 30. The Multan Cricket Stadium will host the clash.
As far as head-to-head records between the two teams are concerned, there is nothing much to speak about. Nepal and Pakistan are yet to face each other in any format. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the players from both sides adjust.
PAK vs NEP head to head record
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Nepal have played 57 ODIs thus far in their career. They won 30 matches, lost 25 and tied one against the United States of America (USA). One of their matches against Namibia did not produce a result. Against Asian opponents, Nepal have won 12 out of 22 ODIs against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
Nepal will look up to their skipper, Rohit Paudel, in the opening match against Pakistan. Paudel is their all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs. The right-handed batter has scored 1469 runs from 52 matches at an average of 31.93 and a strike-rate of 75.79 with one hundred and eight fifties to show for his efforts.
He also holds the record for the highest individual score by a Nepalese batter in ODIs when he notched 126 off 107 balls against Papua New Guinea back in March 2022 in Kirtipur.
Aasif Sheikh is the other Nepalese batter with over 1000 runs in the 50-over format for the national team. With 1187 runs from 41 ODIs at an average of 31.23, Sheikh is expected to play a key role against Pakistan. He is also one of the six batters from Nepal to have scored hundreds in ODIs.
Kushal Bhurtel, Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee are also among their most experienced batters. Gyanendra Malla isn’t a part of the squad after he announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year.
In the bowling department, the onus will be on Sandeep Lamichhane to deliver. With 111 wickets from 49 matches, the leg-spinner is the only Nepalese bowler with over 100 scalps in the 50-over format. In fact, Lamichhane holds the record of the fastest bowler to 100 wickets in ODIs, breaking Afghan spin sensation Rashid Khan’s feat.
Karan KC and Sompal Kami have 73 and 63 wickets to their names. Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi is also effective with the ball, having taken 28 wickets from 17 innings in ODIs.
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PAK vs NEP head to head record in T20Is
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PAK vs NEP head to head record in ODIs
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Pakistan, on the other hand, is eagerly waiting as the Asia Cup returns to the country after as many as 15 years. The team, captained by Babar Azam, recently became the No.1 ranked side in ODIs and that should boost their confidence to a large extent.
Babar recently achieved the record of most runs after 100 ODIs innings. He scored a duck in the first ODI against Afghanistan before making a comeback with two half-centuries on the trot.
Babar is currently the 10th highest run-scorer for Pakistan in ODI cricket, having notched 5202 runs from 103 matches at an average of 58.44 with 18 hundreds and 28 half-centuries to show for his efforts. Left-handed batter Imam-ul-Haq is in brilliant form after he scored 165 runs from three matches in the series against the Afghans.
Fakhar Zaman has scored 817 runs from 17 matches in ODIs on Pakistani soil at an average of 51.06 with hundreds to his name. Saud Shakeel was recently added to the ODI squad after he performed exceptionally against quality spin-bowling in the Test series against Sri Lanka.
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The middle-order also has the likes of Salman Ali Agha and Iftikhar Ahmed, who both can also chip in with handy overs with the ball in hand.
Shadab Khan, Usama Mir and Mohammad Nawaz are the three specialist spinners Pakistan have in their squad. All three of them can bat, adding depth to the Pakistani batting lineup.
Haris Rauf recently picked up a five-wicket haul against Afghanistan in the first ODI against the Afghans. His bowling partner, Shaheen Shah Afridi, became the leading wicket-taker of the series with six scalps at an economy rate of 4.14.
Naseem Shah is someone, who can swing the ball both ways. Having recently played for the Colombo Strikers under Babar’s captaincy, and in the series against Afghanistan, Naseem must already have been accustomed to the conditions.
Pakistan won the Asia Cup in 2000 and 2012, and will be looking to win their third title. Last year, they lost to Sri Lanka in the final.
