Nepal Defeats Afghanistan

Nepal defeated Afghanistan by five wickets in the men's cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday. Afghanistan batted first at the Nisshin Korogi Sports Park in Japan but could manage only 102 runs in 20 overs.

Nepal chased down the target of 103 in 17.2 overs, losing five wickets. Sundeep Jora scored 34 runs, while captain Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on 33 to guide Nepal to victory.

The result has made the race for second place in Group A interesting. India will enter the tournament at the quarterfinal stage and will face the team that finishes second in the group on September 28. That means India could face either Nepal or Afghanistan.

Afghanistan lose three wickets for 16 runs

Afghanistan had a poor start after being asked to bat first. They lost three wickets for just 16 runs before Faisal Khan Ahmadzai and Najibullah Zadran steadied the innings.

Both batters scored 30 runs each, while Nangeyalia Khan remained unbeaten on 17. However, Afghanistan could not build enough momentum and finished with 102/9 in 20 overs.

Kushal Bhurtel was Nepal's standout bowler, taking four wickets, while Lalit Rajbanshi picked up three wickets.

Sundeep Jora, Rohit Paudel guide Nepal

Nepal also lost two early wickets for just 12 runs during the chase. However, Sundeep Jora and Rohit Paudel took control of the innings and helped their team recover.

Jora scored 34 runs, while Paudel remained unbeaten on 33. Nepal captain Dipendra Singh Airee also contributed 15 runs.

For Afghanistan, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Arab Gul took one wicket each, but Nepal reached 103/5 in 17.2 overs.

India could face Nepal or Afghanistan

India will directly enter the men's cricket quarterfinals and will play the second-placed team from Group A on September 28.

Afghanistan are currently at the top of the group despite the defeat, while Nepal are second. With both teams having one win each, the remaining results will decide who finishes second.

As a result, India could face either Nepal or Afghanistan in the quarterfinal. Afghanistan's regular captain Rashid Khan, along with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai, were rested for the Asian Games.

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