Asian Games 2026: Nepal Shock Afghanistan by Five Wickets

Nepal began their Asian Games 2026 campaign with a statement of intent, overcoming Afghanistan by five wickets in a tense Group A opener at the Korogi Sports Park on Friday.

A disciplined bowling performance, led by Kushal Bhurtel’s four-wicket haul, reduced Afghanistan to just 102 before Rohit Paudel held his nerve through a tricky chase to guide Nepal over the line. Paudel’s unbeaten 33 off 32 balls, supported by Sundeep Jora and captain Dipendra Singh Airee, ensured Nepal recovered from a shaky start to claim a memorable victory.

Afghanistan struggle to build momentum

Afghanistan never quite managed to find their rhythm after being put under pressure by Nepal’s spinners.

Bhurtel proved particularly difficult to negotiate, claiming four wickets as Nepal repeatedly disrupted Afghanistan’s attempts to build partnerships. At the other end, Lalit Rajbanshi was equally economical, conceding only 13 runs from his four overs while picking up three wickets.

Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran offered Afghanistan some resistance with identical scores of 30, while Nangeyalia Kharoti added 17 towards the end of the innings.

But there was little else for Afghanistan to draw upon. Nepal kept the scoring under control throughout, eventually restricting their opponents to 102 – a total that left the door firmly open for a chase.

Nepal wobble before Paudel and Jora steady the innings

The chase, however, was anything but straightforward.

Nepal lost Bhurtel for a duck after Faridoon Dawoodzai struck early, before Abdullah Ahmadzai removed Aasif Sheikh for two. Kushal Malla then fell to a run-out in the seventh over, leaving Nepal in trouble at 31/3.

With Afghanistan sensing an opportunity to claw their way back into the contest, Jora and Paudel took responsibility for rebuilding the innings.

The pair avoided unnecessary risks while gradually bringing the required total within reach. Jora provided the aggression, striking a four and a six across the ninth and 10th overs, but his dismissal by run-out shortly afterwards briefly reopened the contest.

Paudel, though, remained composed.

Paudel keeps his cool as Nepal close in

With the pressure beginning to rise, Paudel found a reliable partner in captain Dipendra.

Rather than attempting to force the chase, the pair chipped away at the target with singles and twos, ensuring Afghanistan were denied the opportunity to create another opening.

Dipendra eventually departed in the 18th over, having made 15 from 18 balls, but by then Nepal had drawn level with Afghanistan’s total.

Paudel then produced the decisive push.

He found the boundary three times across the 16th and 17th overs, taking Nepal within touching distance of victory before Gulsan Jha finished the job with a single.

Paudel walked away unbeaten on 33 from 32 balls, having anchored a chase that had threatened to unravel in its early stages.

What the result means for Group A

The victory gives Nepal an ideal start to their Asian Games campaign, while Afghanistan are left with one win and one defeat from their two group matches.

Despite the setback, Afghanistan remain at the top of the three-team Group A table on net run rate. Nepal, meanwhile, have one game remaining against Japan, who are yet to register a win.

With each team playing only two matches in the league stage, the margin for error is limited. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, meaning Nepal’s victory could prove particularly valuable when the qualification picture takes shape.

For now, though, Nepal can savour a result built on two distinctly different strengths: Bhurtel and Rajbanshi’s control with the ball, followed by Paudel’s composure when the chase began to wobble.