Nepal defeated Afghanistan by three wickets in the men's Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition on Friday, September 25.
Afghanistan played first at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, and achieved 102/7 in 20 overs. Nepal then chased after the target and took the victory in 17.3 overs, taking two important points in Group A.
The result is important because Group A has only three teams - Nepal, Afghanistan, and Japan. The top two teams will move into the quarter-finals.
Afghanistan struggled with the bat.
Afghanistan started the tournament with a strong win over Japan. They scored 129/6, bowling Japan out for 81 and won by 48 runs. Arab Gul took four wickets in that match, while Nangeyalia Kharote took three.
However, Afghanistan could not produce another strong batting performance against Nepal.
Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran both scored 30 runs, while Nangeyalia Kharote still remained unbeaten on 17. But regular wickets prevented Afghanistan from building a bigger total.
Lalit Rajbanshi of Nepal was one of the key performers with the ball and took three wickets. Kushal Bhurtel also made an impact with four wickets.
Nepal's next match against Japan
Nepal will now face Japan on Saturday, September 26.
The match will take place at 9:00 AM local time in Japan, or 5:30 AM IST.
This is one of those games that really counts for Nepal. A win will put them in a very good position to finish in the top two and into the quarter-finals.
Nepal entered the competition with confidence after winning the ACC Premier Cup. It has experienced players in the team like captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Rohit Paudel, and Sandeep Lamichhane.
What happens to Afghanistan?
Now Afghanistan has played in both their group matches. They beat Japan but lost to Nepal.
This means their position in the group will be affected by the Japan vs Nepal result.
If Nepal wins, Nepal will finish above Afghanistan. If Japan defeats Nepal, the final points situation could become more complicated and the teams' net run rates could become important.
In the quarter-finals, the top two teams in Group A will qualify.
Quarter-finals start on September 28
The Asian Games cricket quarter-finals are due to begin on September 28.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have direct entry into the quarter-final stage. The teams from the group stage will join them in the last eight.
For Nepal, the immediate focus is Japan. For Afghanistan, the focus will be on the final Group A result and whether it is enough to secure a quarter-final place.
