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Nepal opening batter Aasif Sheikh became the first batter from his nation to score an ODI half-century against India during the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 group-stage encounter at the Pallekele International Stadium on Monday. The right-handed batter showed temperament and solid technique to score 58 runs off 97 deliveries.
Aasif was handed an early reprieve after he was dropped by Virat Kohli in the second over of the innings when he was just batting on 1. He made the most of his second life to convert his start into a historic fifty for the emerging cricketing nation.
His knock came to an end courtesy of a soft dismissal off Mohammed Siraj's bowling. This time around Kohli did not drop the opportunity at mid-off, thereby sealing the end of Aasif Sheikh's credible knock.
The 22-year-old was lauded for his knock against a potent Indian bowling attack by fans and pundits alike.
On that note, let us take a look at interesting things about the opening batter who scored 58 against India in Asia Cup 2023.
#1 Winner of the 2022 ICC Spirit of Cricket Award
Aasif Sheikh was awarded the 2022 ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for his exemplary decision to not dismiss Andy McBrine during a contest against Ireland as part of a quadrangular series held in Oman.
The wicketkeeper had the opportunity to dismiss McBrine, who collided with the bowler Kamal Airee, and fell to the ground while going for a run. Aasif collected the throw from the bowler and instead of clipping off the bails to effect the run-out, chose to allow McBrine to come back into the crease and keep playing.
He was praised for upholding the spirit of the game and was adjudged the winner of the award for his actions.
#2 Younger brother of former Nepal vice-captain Aarif Sheikh
The youngster is also the younger brother of former Nepal vice-captain Aarif Sheikh, who was dropped for the clash against India for Bhim Sharki. Aarif was the second-highest run-scorer during the contest against Pakistan with 26 runs as Nepal proceeded to lose by 238 runs.
Aarif Sheikh has also been the vice-captain of Nepal's U-19 side. The 25-year-old is an all-rounder and has acted as a mentor to Aasif during their emerging days in the sport.
#3 Led Nepal U-19 against the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal in the 2018 U-19 Asia Cup
Aasif Sheikh led Nepal's U-19 team in the 2018 U-19 Asia Cup, which was held in Bangladesh. He could not guide the team into the knockouts after finishing third in Pool A which included India, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Nepal slumped to a heavy defeat against the talented India U-19 side that included reputed players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prabhsimran Singh, Ayush Badoni and Devdutt Padikkal. Aasif Sheikh top scored with 25 runs for Nepal while chasing the 305-run set by India, courtesy of Jaiswal's ton.
Aasif Sheikh has also led Nepal in the 2018 Quadrangular Cricket Tournament in India.
#4 Scored his maiden ODI ton in March 2023
The wicketkeeper has played 42 ODIs and 20 ODIs in his career so far. When it comes to the 50-over format, he has scored 1192 runs at an average of 30.56 and a strike rate of 77.60.
He made his debut in 2021 but had to wait for two years to get his maiden hundred. The right-handed batter scored 110 runs off 110 deliveries against Papua New Guinea in an ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 match, which was also the contest where he crossed the 1000-run mark in ODI cricket.
His ton helped Nepal amass 297 on the board, which they were able to comfortably defend.
#5 Was involved in Nepal's record ODI partnership
Aasif Sheikh currently holds the record for being part of Nepal's highest partnerships for the first and second wickets.
The first wicket partnership of 171 runs against Zimbabwe alongside Kaushal Bhurtel in the opening match of the 2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier is Nepal's highest for any wicket. Nepal, unfortunately, went on to lose the match after Craig Ervine and company chased down the 291-run target in 44.1 overs.
Aasif Sheikh was also involved in a 139-run partnership for the second wicket with Gyanendra Malla in an ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 match against Namibia on February 18, 2023. The partnership helped Nepal chase down the 275-run target and is still the highest in Nepal's history for the second wicket.
