'Our first target is to defeat the UAE' - Captain Indu Barma sets Nepal's intentions clear ahead of Women's Asia Cup

The Women’s Asia Cup will commence on July 19 at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium in Dambulla. Eight teams will be vying for the championship title in the island country. Group A will be braced for a fierce battle with teams like India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and Nepal tussling for glory. Nepal have a great opportunity to upset one of the renowned teams in the tournament.

It is worth noting that, the minnows have not registered a single win in any of the biennial tournaments. This will be their third appearance in such a tournament, having previously participated in 2012 in China and 2016 in Thailand. However, during their appearance on both occasions, they could not manage a single win and finished at the bottom of the table. Nepal’s captain, Indu Barma eyes a win over UAE, who were ACC Women’s Premier Cup champions. 

“Our first target is to defeat the UAE,” Nepal skipper Indu Barma said as quoted by The Kathmandu Post.

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Our team can play a good game against big teams like our men’s team: Magar

Talking about Nepal’s foothold in cricket, the Men’s team showed resistance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. They managed to occupy a berth in the marquee event and nearly defeated the heavy South Africa side, if not for a run defeat. Sita Rana Magar, who was in Nepal’s squad in 2016 and is one of the few experienced players in the team, draws inspiration from the men’s team and hopes for a resurgence.  

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“Our plan is not just to participate in the tournament. We have a feeling that our team can play a good game against big teams like our men’s team. We have gained clarity on how to bat for a full 20 overs and how to bowl the ball through mentoring. There are positive changes in the team,” said Magar.