Nepal earn credibility with passion play
CHITTAGONG, MAR 17 -
Nothing succeeds like success. People who were indifferent to Team Nepal until a week ago have started taking keen interest in Nepal’s cricket history after they thrashed Hong Kong in World Cup debut on Sunday.
No one is happier about that than the Nepali skipper Paras Khadka himself. “We are playing the World Cup for the first time and making a good start to the dream tournament has boosted the morale of the team,” said Khadka, after their 80-run win over Hong Kong.
Khadka had told the pre-tournament press conference that Nepal were there to showcase their talent to the global audience.
Hardly anyone might have taken him seriously at the time, but it all changed overnight following Nepal’s clinical performance on Sunday. It has not only shot up interest back home but also in Bangladesh.
Local media have given a wide coverage to Nepal after what they observed both on the field and off it. The huge presence of Nepal supporters at the stadium also forced the local people to give due attention to the otherwise little known cricket team of Nepal.
Dainik Samakalin, Paribartan online and some television channels had even run special stories on the Nepali cricket team.
The locals, who seemed unaware of the Nepali cricket team before Sunday’s match, have now started taking keen interest in the team. “I watched the Nepal-Hong Kong match and was cheering for Nepal,” said Rabib Ahmed, a shopkeeper in Chittagong. “They played very well.”
People are now starting to dig in information on the Nepali team. A large crowd that gathered at the Basantapur Durbar Square to watch the match live on televison has also become a topic of discussion for the Bangladeshis.
Many expressed disbelief that the Nepal skipper Khadka had been offered to play in the Bangladesh Premier League. While Khadka has been a crowd favourite, the victory has also brought overnight fame to Shakti Gauchan and Gyanendra Malla.
“Gauchan is a very good bowler,” remarked Irfan Islam, 25 year old student. “I was rooting for Nepal yesterday as it is another team from South Asia.”
Nepal will have to do away with support of the Bangladeshis when they take on the hosts on Tuesday. It would be too much to ask for the World Cup debutant to upset the Test-playing nation who start as the firm favourites in the match. But a strong performance even if it ends in a loss should be considered a satisfying outcome.
No one is happier about that than the Nepali skipper Paras Khadka himself. “We are playing the World Cup for the first time and making a good start to the dream tournament has boosted the morale of the team,” said Khadka, after their 80-run win over Hong Kong.
Khadka had told the pre-tournament press conference that Nepal were there to showcase their talent to the global audience.
Hardly anyone might have taken him seriously at the time, but it all changed overnight following Nepal’s clinical performance on Sunday. It has not only shot up interest back home but also in Bangladesh.
Local media have given a wide coverage to Nepal after what they observed both on the field and off it. The huge presence of Nepal supporters at the stadium also forced the local people to give due attention to the otherwise little known cricket team of Nepal.
Dainik Samakalin, Paribartan online and some television channels had even run special stories on the Nepali cricket team.
The locals, who seemed unaware of the Nepali cricket team before Sunday’s match, have now started taking keen interest in the team. “I watched the Nepal-Hong Kong match and was cheering for Nepal,” said Rabib Ahmed, a shopkeeper in Chittagong. “They played very well.”
People are now starting to dig in information on the Nepali team. A large crowd that gathered at the Basantapur Durbar Square to watch the match live on televison has also become a topic of discussion for the Bangladeshis.
Many expressed disbelief that the Nepal skipper Khadka had been offered to play in the Bangladesh Premier League. While Khadka has been a crowd favourite, the victory has also brought overnight fame to Shakti Gauchan and Gyanendra Malla.
“Gauchan is a very good bowler,” remarked Irfan Islam, 25 year old student. “I was rooting for Nepal yesterday as it is another team from South Asia.”
Nepal will have to do away with support of the Bangladeshis when they take on the hosts on Tuesday. It would be too much to ask for the World Cup debutant to upset the Test-playing nation who start as the firm favourites in the match. But a strong performance even if it ends in a loss should be considered a satisfying outcome.
