KATHMANDU: Nepali are all set to open the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Tournament with a match against new comers Iran at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The Nepali team is in a bid to win the second international event in their just third outing. In the maiden appearance in Malaysia in 2007, Nepal finished runner up to Bangladesh in the inaugural ACC Women’s Cricket Tournament in 2007, while the Nepali women cricketers won the ACC Under-19 Women’s Cricket Tournament in Thailand in 2008. Iran are the new team in women’s cricket.

The Nepali team, which had a one and half hour training today at the same venue, was confident of starting the tournament with a victory. “As we have a strong team this time, I hope we will win the first match easily,” said skipper Ritu Kanoujiya, who is leading the team for the first time.

Nary Thapa was the skipper of the Nepali teams in their previous two tours.

Ritu said the team was confident of batting and bowling. “Our strengths are batting and bowling. We need to improve our fielding,” said the cricketer from Baitadi. Ritu named Neera Rajopadhyaya, Maya Rawat and Nitu Thapa as the key players who could turn the match around.

Coach Pradeep Raj Pandey was also equally confident of the team. “We are confident of making a winning start as we have a strong batting line up and there are god bowlers in our team,” said Pandey. “If we win toss we will bat first and anything around 140 will be easy to defend,” he said.

Like skipper Ritu, Pandey also doubted the fielding aspect. Pandey rated captain Ritu, Maya Rawat, Neera Rajopadhyaya and Nary Thapa as key players of the team.

The coach, however, had complains over the shoes of the players. “The players are facing some problems with the players’ shoes. They are not comfortable and slippery as well,” he said.

Right arm medium pacer Janaki Bhatta skipped the practice session today as she has not been fully fit to play the match. She has been suffering from fever and cough. Though she went to the practice venue with the team members, coach Pandey asked her to take rest.

The Nepali team mainly focused on fielding and fitness during the one-and-half hour training. The team got less time for batting at the nets due to rain.

Except for Janaki, the coach has decided to drop Manisha Rawal and Sarita Magar for the opening match. Maya Rawat and Neera Rajopadhyay are expected to open the batting for the team with Rashmi Sharma, Nary Thapa, Nitu Thapa and skipper Ritu to follow. Others in the starting line up are Rekha Rawal, Saraswoti Lamgade, Sonu Khadka, Rubina Chhetry and Ambika Budhathoki.

Meanwhile, coach Pandey said he was reluctant of using Nary Thapa as a bowler after he found the former skipper fully not perfect in her actions. Nary, who was called for chucking during the 2007 ACC tournament in Thailand, bowled with similar actions today. “She was not perfect with her actions in the nets and I will not use her if Sonu Khadka and Rekha Rawal do good with the ball,” said the coach.