Nepal marked a triumphant start to their Asian Games 2026 campaign by securing a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan during their Group A encounter in Nisshin. The result was largely fueled by a clinical display from the Nepalese bowling unit, which restricted Afghanistan to a modest total of 102/7 across their allotted 20 overs. Kushal Bhurtel and Lalit Rajbanshi were the standout performers, combining for seven wickets to dismantle the opposition lineup. Afghanistan were off to a slow start as Nepal’s spinners capitalized on the supportive pitch conditions.
Lalit Rajbanshi set the tone early, removing Afghanistan’s top three batters within the first five overs and leaving the side reeling at 16/3. Although Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran attempted a recovery by adding 39 runs, they both fell to Kushal Bhurtel, who finished with impressive figures of 4/21 in his four-over spell, which included a maiden. Rajbanshi ended with 3/13, while a late 30-run partnership between Zadran and Nangeyalia Kharoti for the seventh wicket helped Afghanistan reach the 100-run mark. The duo made 30 each and both fell to Bhurtel at either end of his spell.
The run chase proved slightly turbulent for Nepal as they faced early pressure from the Afghan bowlers. By the midpoint of the seventh over, the score sat at 31/3, indicating a difficult path ahead. Sundeep Jora stabilized the innings with a vital 34-run contribution, while Rohit Paudel anchored the remainder of the chase with a composed, unbeaten 33 off 32 deliveries. Paudel’s partnership with captain Dipendra Singh Airee added a crucial 46 runs from 43 balls, allowing Nepal to reach the target with 16 balls to spare. Nepal suffered early setbacks in the chase but crucial knocks in the 30s from Sundeep Jora and Rohit Paudel steered them to an upset win.
The final match scorecard confirms the clinical nature of the victory: Afghanistan posted 102/7 (Faisal Shinozada 30, Najibullah Zadran 30; Kushal Bhurtel 4-21, Lalit Rajbanshi 3-13), while Nepal responded with 103/5 in 17.2 overs (Sundeep Jora 34, Rohit Paudel 34*; Faridoon Dawoodzai 1-10, Arab Gul Momand 1-13). This performance provides Nepal with significant momentum as they proceed through the group stages of the tournament. Never allowing Afghanistan any late charge, shinozada’s departure triggered a mini collapse of 3 for 10 runs.
