ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023: West Indies vs Nepal, WI vs NEP Match 9 Pitch Report, Head-to-Head, Player Records and Match Predictions
Match Details
The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers are underway and it is going absolutely fantastic. The 9th game of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Qualifier will see West Indies, captained by Shai Hope, facing Nepal, led by Rohit Paudel. While this is the second match for the West Indies team, Nepal will play their third game. The match will be played at Harare Sports Club on June 22.
Pitch Report
The pitch conditions for the match are expected to be conducive to batting, with a reasonable amount of bounce and carry. The batsmen should be able to score freely, and the pitch is likely to offer support to both pacers and spinners. However, as the match progresses, the pitch might slow down, making shot selection and timing crucial for batsmen. It is likely that both teams may surpass the 300-run milestone with ease, while the bowlers will most likely struggle to defend.
Teams Analysis
West Indies
West Indies started with a strong beginning when they won their opening match against the United States by a convincing 39 runs. They were asked to bat first and after an early collapse, Johnson Charles scored 66 runs and Shai Hope hit 54 to help the team recover. Jason Holder scored 56 runs off 40 balls, leading West Indies to a competitive total of 297 runs.
In defense of 298, Kyle Mayers and Alzarri Joseph took two wickets each, limiting the United States to 258/7. West Indies opened their account in a stylish manner.
They have the likes of Brandon King, Shai Hope, and Johnson Charles in the batting. Nicholas Pooran after a fine IPL 2023, is back in the team. and they will look to continue this momentum in this match too. Jason Holder and Roston Chase have already performed as all-rounders while Alzari Joseph, Akeal Hossein and Keemo Paul are keeping the bowling unit quite effective. Earlier this year, they emerged victorious against the UAE in UAE in a 3-match ODI series. They have been doing well since then and are favourites to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. But, they need to be aware of Nepal’s emergence, which is getting better and better.
Nepal
Nepal has played two matches so far. They started the campaign with a loss against the host Zimbabwe but then managed to win against the USA in the second match by 6 wickets. Karan KC took apart USA’s batting lineup all by himself, as he managed to collect four wickets and limited them to a meager total of 207 runs in 49 overs, after being put in to bat first. Nepal managed to successfully chase down the target, thanks to Bhim Sharki’s composed innings of 77 runs which included seven boundaries and one maximum. They completed the task with seven overs to spare, with Dipendra Singh Airee contributing an unbeaten 39 off 32 deliveries.
Kushal Bhurtel missed his century by just one run against Zimbabwe. Alongside him, Aasif Sheikh and Bhim Karki also strengthen the batting order. Karan KC is the main strike bowler of the team. Gulsan Jha is another go-to bowler who has been among the wicket-takers for Nepal. As an underdog team, they did well in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers warm-up matches in 2023. They won against Oman and put up a good fight against the UAE. The team is riding high on confidence and they would want to fight the mighty West Indies till the last ball of the match.
Head to Head Records
West Indies and Nepal have not faced each other in an official international match. This encounter will mark their first meeting, adding an element of unpredictability to the match. Still, West Indies should win this match on the back of their strong side.
Player Records
We are taking the stats of the current tournament going on.
West Indies
| Player | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowl. Economy |
| J Charles | 1 | 66 | 82.5 | ||
| J Holder | 1 | 56 | 140 | 1 | 4.5 |
| R Chase | 1 | 55 | 100 | 1 | 5.9 |
| S Hope | 1 | 54 | 90 | ||
| K Mayers | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
| A Joseph | 1 | 2 | 6.8 |
Nepal
| Player | Matches | Runs | Bat. Avg. | Strike Rate | Wickets | Bowl. Economy |
| K Bhurtel | 2 | 138 | 69 | 92.6 | ||
| B Sharki | 2 | 77 | 77 | 66.9 | ||
| A Sheikh | 2 | 78 | 39 | 67.2 | ||
| Karan KC | 2 | 4 | 4.5 | |||
| G Jha | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||
| DS Airee | 2 | 2 | 4.8 |
Squads
West Indies
Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope(c & wk), Roston Chase, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, , Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Keacy Carty, Yannic Cariah, Shamarh Brooks
Nepal
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(wk), Rohit Paudel(c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Bhim Sharki, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Gyanendra Malla, Kishore Mahato, Pratis GC, Arjun Saud
West Indies vs Nepal Match 9 Predictions
West Indies
Nepal
Possible Playing 11
West Indies
Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Brandon King, Shai Hope(c & wk), Roston Chase, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein
Nepal
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(wk), Rohit Paudel(c), Kushal Malla, Bhim Sharki, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sandeep Lamichhane
Fantasy Team
Based on the stats above, this could be the fantasy team.
Conclusion
The two-time champions West Indies should be the favourites here but Nepal has shown its fighting skills. Windies need to be careful about the spin attack of Nepal also. On the other hand, Nepal defeated the USA comfortably and their confidence is sky high. They will look to do something magical here. Can they upset the mighty West Indies or will the latter triumph easily in this 9th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023? Only time will tell us about the final result.
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