NISSHIN — Nepal scripted a historic victory in the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating silver-medallists Afghanistan by five wickets at the Korogi Sports Park.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the Afghan batting lineup struggled to find momentum against a disciplined Nepalese bowling attack.Early strikes from spinner Lalit Rajbanshi—who finished with impressive figures of 3 for 13—rocked the top order, reducing Afghanistan to early trouble.Despite cautious resistance from Faisal Khan (30) and Najibullah Zadran (30), who labored to recover the innings, Afghanistan failed to achieve late acceleration and could only muster a modest total of 102 for 7 in their 20 overs.Kushal Bhurtel also wreaked havoc with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 21 runs.
In response, Nepal’s chase saw early turbulence as their openers fell cheaply to the Afghan seamers.However, a steady knock of 34 from Sundeep Jora and an anchor performance by captain Rohit Paudel, who remained unbeaten on 33 off 32 deliveries, guided the team through.Despite regular breakthroughs by the Afghan bowlers, Nepal crossed the finish line comfortably, reaching 103 for 5 with 16 balls to spare.
This defeat marks Nepal’s first T20 victory over Afghanistan since the 2014 T20 World Cup, blowing the Group A qualification race wide open.Following this setback, Afghanistan holds two points from their opening two matches, leaving their progression to the tournament’s knockout stage hanging in the balance as the group stage heads toward its concluding fixtures.