Oman vs Nepal, CAN Tri-Series 2024, Today Match Prediction 29 September 2024

OMA vs NEP Match Prediction & Analysis

Nepal kicked off the T20I Tri-Series in Canada with a loss in the first match against the hosts. Nepal were on top of the game after winning the toss choosing to bowl first.

It is not a great pitch to bat on. And batters from both sides struggled to get going. Nepal lost the match by 14 runs while chasing a small target of 124. Oman come here to play their first T20I since the T20 World Cup.

In the West Indies, Oman lost all of their 5 matches. However, last year playing in Nepal in the World Cup Asia Qualifier, Oman won every single game including the Final against Nepal.

On a bowling-friendly wicket, Oman can be very threatening with their bowling attack. Aqib Ilyas, Fayyaz Butt, and Mehran Khan are the key wicket-takers who were successful against Nepal in their previous encounters.

Rohit Paudel will expect his batters to bounce back in this match. Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, and Dipendra Singh Airee will be the ones to watch out for.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Oman Preview

Oman have a strong bowling attack. They’ve got many all-rounders in addition to batters who can bowl. That means there is a great variety for the skipper to choose from when rotating his bowlers.

There is no Bilal Khan in this squad. He was the top bowler for Oman against Nepal during the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier. Ayaan Khan is handy with the ball and is likely to get the bowling responsibility in this match.

Batting all-rounder Zeeshan Maqsood is another key bowler to watch out for in this squad. Oman have always been impressive with the ball. They need to watch out for the bowling threat posed by Sandeep Lamicchane and Dipendra Singh in this match.

Kashyap Prajapathi, Aqib Ilyas, and Zeeshan Maqsood will be the key batters in the top 4 of this lineup. Jatinder Singh and Mehran Khan are the other big names in the batting department.

It was Maqsood who led Oman in the Qualifiers but Ilyas took over as captain during the T20 World Cup. The batting lineup is quite deep and though it may not be able to post big scores, skipper Ilyas will expect a decent performance to take the team to a 140+ total.

Oman Predicted Playing XI:

Kashyap Prajapathi, Pratik Athavale (wk), Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Jatinder Singh, Ayaan Khan, Mehran Khan, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shoaib Khan, Shakeel Ahmed

Nepal Preview

Nepal will be disappointed after the kind of loss they suffered in the opening game. They should have won that match comfortably. They were chasing a below-par total courtesy of some brilliant spells from Sandeep Lamichchane, Sompal Kami, and Dipendra Singh Airee.

We expect Nepal to come out strong with the ball once again. They have faced Oman 6 times before and won on 3 occasions. Opening batter Aasif Sheikh is one of the big-hitting players in this side.

While he may not find great help from this surface to deliver a big start, but still holds a key position in this lineup. Irrespective of the run rate, he needs to strike a strong opening partnership with Anil Sah.

Skipper Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla are the most important figures in the middle order. These two have the major scoring responsibilities at 4 and 5. If these two are back in the hut soon, Nepal would be on the brink of another collapse.

Dipendra Singh Airee, who came in at number 7 in the last match, is also known for his big-hitting abilities. It is a deep batting order with big-hitting all-rounders at key positions in the lineup.

While Karan KC and Sompal Kami lead the pace bowling attack, Sandeep Lamichchane and Dipendra Singh Airee will be the key wicket-takers with the spin.

Nepal Predicted Playing XI:

Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah (wk), Kushal Malla, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Rijan Dhakal, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami

Weather Conditions

We expect cloudy skies in King City, Ontario on the match day with a high of 23 degrees Celsius. There is no prediction for rain and we should have a complete, uninterrupted T20 game. The overcast conditions could help the bowlers even more and keep the pitch on the slower side.

OMA vs NEP Pitch Report

The pitch will favor the bowlers, particularly the spinners. Both teams feature reliable spin bowlers and will back themselves to restrict the opposition to a par total. While the average 1st innings score at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground is 150 runs, we reckon that would be a match-winning total in this match given the current pitch conditions.

Toss: To Bowl

Only 30% of the matches were won by the team batting first at this venue. It has been a balanced wicket in the past but looking at the recent match it seems like the bowlers will have the upper hand. As a result, bowling first seems like the ideal choice.