WATCH: Ishan Kishan Drops Sitter As India's Fielding Fumbles Against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup

Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer& Ishan Kishan (Source-Twitter)

The game of cricket is not just about batting and bowling; fielding plays an equally crucial role in determining the outcome of a match. Unfortunately, in the recent clash between India and Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023, India's fielding performance left much to be desired. The most glaring example of this was Ishan Kishan's dropped catch, which could have potentially turned the tide in favour of India.

Fielding is often referred to as the third aspect of cricket, and it is rightly so. A team may have exceptional batsmen and bowlers, but if they fail to convert opportunities into wickets through poor fielding, victory becomes elusive. In this particular match against Nepal, India's fielders seemed to be plagued by a lack of focus and coordination. 

The Indian cricket team's fielding during the Asia Cup 2023 match against Nepal on Monday disappointed spectators as Virat Kohli dropped an easy opportunity. Aasif Sheikh misplayed a shot from Mohammed Siraj in the second over of the game, and the ball sailed directly in the direction of Kohli at cover point. Although it was a simple catch, Kohli utterly botched it as the ball bounced out of his hands. Shreyas Iyer also failed to make a relatively simple catch at the slips on the final ball of the first over. India struggled to hold on to the catches, which gave Nepal a solid start. A few overs later, another opportunity was lost as Ishan Kishan misjudged a catching effort.

Ishan Kishan is an added advantage in the squad

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma winning the toss elected to field first, as they already batted in the first match and didn't get to the field. Anticipating the weather conditions to give bowlers some time on the field, the captain decided to field first. 

"We are going to bowl first. No particular reason. We batted in the last game. We want to see what the bowlers have in offer for us. I don't know about the weather. We just want to have the bowlers to have a game under the belt. The way we batted under pressure, Hardik and Ishan batted brilliantly. Ishan showed a lot of maturity and took the game on as well. Good signs for us. It's another important game for us. One change. Bumrah is not available, we've got Shami in place for him," Rohit said at the toss. 

Watch how Indian fielding fumbled: 

3 catches dropped by Indians players by Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Ishan kishan respectively.#IndvsNep pic.twitter.com/bc9FdX5TrP

— Magnetic Field (@MagneticField0) September 4, 2023