India surge into Asia Cup Super Fours with 10-wicket thrashing of Nepal

Openers put on show to knock out game underdogs after lengthy rain delay

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  India's Rohit Sharma, left, and Shubman Gill celebrate their win over Nepal. AFP

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  All respect shown between the sides after the game. AFP

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  Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, on his way to a superb 74 not out. Getty

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  Gulshan Jha of Nepal saves a boundary during the Asia Cup Group A match against India. Getty

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  Indian fans wait as the play is interrupted by rain in Kandy. AP

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  The ground staff cover up the pitch after rain stopped play. Getty

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  Karan Khatri Chhetri of Nepal with an unsuccessful appeal against Rohit Sharma. Getty

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  India's Hardik Pandya loses his balance after delivering a ball as Nepal's Sompal Kami watches. AP

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  Nepal's Sompal Kami dives to save his wicket. AFP

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill remained unbeaten as India hammered cricketing minnows Nepal by 10 wickets in a rain-hit match to enter the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup on Monday.

Chasing a DLS-revised target of 145 in 23 overs after a rain interruption, India reached home with 17 balls to spare in Pallekele.

Rohit, on 74, and Gill, on 67, stood strong. Nepal were bowled out for 230 after Aasif Sheikh top-scored with 58.

The 50-over tournament is seen as a tune-up for the upcoming ODI World Cup in India but rain has played spoilsport, forcing organisers to discuss a venue change for upcoming matches in Colombo.

India's opening match against Pakistan, who were the first team to move into the next round, was abandoned after just one innings due to bad weather.

In their second outing, India were 17-0 in 2.1 overs when heavy rain forced players out of the ground and the field was totally covered.

Ground staff worked tirelessly to make the ground ready for play again.

Rohit and Gill came out roaring and hit a string of boundaries to reach their respective half-centuries and race to the target. Rohit smashed five sixes in his 59-ball knock.

Nepal, who are still finding their feet in international cricket and got ODI status in 2018, put up an impressive show after Sheikh's fifty helped the team to a respectable total.

But they lost their way after a strong start by Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel (38) but the middle and lower-order fought back.

Number eight Sompal Kami smashed 48 before the innings ended in 48.2 overs. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj took three wickets each.

Rohit won the toss and elected to field first, but Bhurtel and Sheikh got quick runs with help from the Indian fielders, who dropped three catches in the first five overs.

Shreyas Iyer dropped a regulation catch at slip, Virat Kohli spilt a sitter at short cover and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan let the ball through his gloves.

Bhurtel smashed Siraj for four and a huge six in successive balls to keep up the charge and raise the noise among a bunch of Nepal fans at a largely empty ground.

He smashed another six off fast bowler Shardul Thakur, but fell caught behind on the next ball.

Siraj sent back Sheikh soon after his fifty to dent the Nepal batting further but, after a rain delay, Dipendra Singh Airee, who hit 29, and Kami put on 50 runs for the seventh wicket to frustrate the opposition bowlers.