Nepal Beat Afghanistan by 5 Wickets

Nepal secured an impressive five-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the Asian Games in Japan. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan struggled against Nepal’s disciplined bowling attack and managed to score only 102 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Nepal reached the target in just 17.2 overs, losing five wickets.

Afghanistan suffered an early collapse after being put into bat. Nepalese spinner Lalit Rajbanshi wreaked havoc as three of Afghanistan’s top-order batters—Hasan Eisakhil (0), Mohammad Akram (2), and Karim Janat (0)—were dismissed with the team’s score at just 16.

Faisal Shinwazada and Najibullah Zadran then tried to steady the innings with a 39-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Faisal scored 30 off 33 balls, while Najibullah made 30 off 40 deliveries. Afghanistan’s middle order also struggled, with captain Darwish Rasooli dismissed for a duck and Mohammad Ishaq scoring just seven. However, a late unbeaten 17 off 15 balls from Nangeyalia Kharote helped Afghanistan cross the 100-run mark.

For Nepal, Kushal Bhurtel was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 21 runs, while Lalit Rajbanshi claimed three wickets for 13 runs.

Chasing a modest target of 103, Nepal came under some pressure after losing both openers for just 12 runs. Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed for a duck, while Asif Sheikh scored only two runs. However, Sandeep Jora and captain Rohit Paudel, who came in at No. 3, displayed patience and guided Nepal towards victory.

Sandeep top-scored with 34 runs off 35 balls, including one six and three fours. Captain Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on 33 off 32 balls, hitting four boundaries in a responsible innings. Late contributions from Dipendra Singh Airee, who scored 15, and Gulshan Jha helped Nepal seal a five-wicket victory with 16 balls to spare.

For Afghanistan, Faridun Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai, and Arab Gul took one wicket each.