Nepal will take on cricket superpower India in their second and final group stage match of the ACC Asia Cup with Super Four at stake at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka on Monday.

While Nepal lost the tournament opener against co-host Pakistan on Tuesday by a huge, 238-run margin at Multan, India and Pakistan shared a point each after the second innings was abandoned due to downpour.

The outcomes of the three-team group meant Pakistan are through to Super Four with three points from two matches and the winner among Nepal and India will join them in the Super Four stage. India are placed in second position with one point while Nepal are placed at the bottom of the standings without opening score with both sides playing a match each.

Should the match be abandoned or points be shared, India will automatically secure a berth for the Super Four stage. The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:15 NST.

India, the third-ranked ODI team who have won the World Cup twice and finished runners-up once, are the overwhelming favourites. Unlike their neighbours, Nepal are marking their debut in the Asia Cup and will be playing India for the first time in any format of the game. However, as the game is the winner-take-all affair, India are expected to field a strong side.

Against Pakistan, Nepal put an early pressure over the hosts dismissing openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq inside seven overs with 25 runs on board. The hosts were reeling at 124-4 at a moment before centuries from captain Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed guided Pakistan to a mammoth total of 342-6. But Nepal fared poorly in batting and were bowled out for 104 runs in 23.4 overs.

“It was a dream to play at this stage against India and Pakistan,” Nepal’s coach Monty Desai said a day after Nepal lost their opening match. “The last game against Pakistan was a big learning curve and we will try to put up an improved performance against India. This stage is also for self-development of players.”

Desai went on, “I think our bowlers made a good start against Pakistan and fulfilled their part really until the 40th over. Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed are world class batters and they made life difficult for us.”

Desai suggested that his batters need to step up. “Our batters need to play with temperament and composure while facing world class bowlers,” he said.

Captain Rohit Paudel had said that his side would make the best use of the opportunity to play against the game’s superpowers. “We had not thought we would be playing against India and Pakistan but we have got this opportunity and we respect it,” Paudel said. “The whole world will be watching us and we will try our best to make the most out of it.”

India captain Rohit Sharma will spearhead the batting line up along with Subham Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, and Hardik Pandya, among others. Nepali batters need to be wary of spinner Kuldeep Yadav, pacers Shardul Thakur, and Mohammad Shami, among others.

Nepal will again count on openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aarif Sheikh, captain Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla in batting. Leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, the only player of Nepal to have played alongside Indian players in the Indian Premier League, will spearhead Nepal’s bowling along with pacer duo of Sompal Kami and Karan KC.