KATHMANDU: Buoyant Nepal will take on India in the final group D encounter of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur of Bangladesh on Monday.

Nepal who had earlier defeated New Zealand by 32 runs and Ireland by 8 wickets in their group games will contest with the tournament favourites, India, tomorrow for the first place at stake.

The game kicks off tomorrow at 9 am local time.

Like Nepal, India had also dominated both the encounters with Ireland and New Zealand comprehensively. Currently, India top the Group D with better run rate of +1.99 to Nepal’s +1.53 from two games, though they have equal points.

Nepal have entered the Super League stage for the second time in their cricketing history. Nepal’s incredible march to the quarterfinals has garnered wide praise and shock around the cricketing world.

Nepal’s leg spinner Sandeep Lamichanne becomes one among the only three players to claim five or more wickets for Nepal; the earlier two being  Rahul Vishvakarma (6 for 3 against Papua New Guinea in 2012) and Bhuvan Karki (5 for 21 against Namibia in 2012).

Leggie Lamichanne had routed Ireland with the impressive figure of 10-0-27-5 on Saturday.

Nepal have always been an excellent side in bowling and fielding, but this tournament has given the glimpses of the batting genius as well.

Earlier, batting woes had laid down Nepal in many encounters and derailed them from claiming titles. But this time around, massive improvement in batting has given hope for the future of Nepali Cricket.

The batting stability has given confidence for the whole team. Openers look solid, consolidated by middle orders and late blitz from the lower order would make the Monday encounter enticing.

Favourites India will be tested by the Himalayan nation as these two neighbours are meeting for the second time in this level of tournament. Earlier, in 2000, India had defeated Nepal with eight wickets and gone all the way to  lift the trophy for the first time.

The current tournament features nine test playing nations and seven associates including Nepal,  Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Namibia and Scotland.

India and Australia have lifted the trophy three times each. India had earlier won this completion in 2012 under the captaincy of Unmukt Chand.

Current test captain Virat Kohli had earlier led India to lift the U-19 World Cup for the second time in their cricketing history in 2008 in Malaysia.

West Indies had defeated Nepal with seven wickets in the final of the Plate Championship in 2008.

Raju Rijal, Nepal’s team captain said, "Playing against India won’t be easy."

Nepal’s team coach Jagat Tamata also said, "We deserve the place in the quarterfinals and will fancy our chances against the mighty India without any pressure.”

If Nepal managed to go as far as possible in the U-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh, it would not be surprising for the nation that Bangladesh is the luckiest hunting ground.

Nepal had won the sixth SAG Football Championship in 1993 in Dhaka and the latest Bangabandu Gold Cup in the same city.

Nepal’s progress to the next round shows the sheer determination of the players despite the marred domestic atmosphere including the recent internal turbulence in the Cricket Association of Nepal and poor cricket infrastructures.