NISSHIN, JAPAN — Nepal opened their Asian Games 2026 cricket campaign in impressive fashion, defeating Afghanistan by five wickets at Korogi Sports Park on Friday.

After restricting Afghanistan to 102 for seven in 20 overs, Nepal chased down the target with relative control, reaching 103 for five in 17.2 overs with 16 balls to spare.

The victory was built on a superb bowling performance from Kushal Bhurtel and Lalit Rajbanshi, before Sundeep Jora and Rohit Paudel guided Nepal through a potentially tricky chase.

Lalit gives Nepal the perfect start

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat, but Nepal quickly took control.

Lalit Rajbanshi struck early, removing Hassan Eisakhil for a duck before dismissing Mohammad Akram and Karim Janat. Afghanistan were reduced to 16 for three after 4.1 overs, leaving their middle order with plenty of rebuilding to do.

Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran provided the recovery Afghanistan needed.

Shinozada scored 30 from 33 balls, while Najibullah made 30 from 40 deliveries. The pair steadied the innings, but Nepal continued to keep the scoring rate under control.

Then Bhurtel took over.

Usually known for his attacking batting at the top of Nepal’s order, Bhurtel made the difference with his leg-spin. He dismissed Shinozada before removing Mohammad Ishaq and Afghanistan captain Darwish Rasooli. Najibullah later became his fourth victim.

Bhurtel finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 21 from four overs, including a maiden, while Lalit returned 3 for 13 from four overs.

Nangeyalia Kharote provided some resistance at the end with an unbeaten 17 from 15 balls, but Afghanistan could only reach 102 for seven.

Nepal lose early wickets

A chase of 103 appeared straightforward, but Nepal were quickly put under pressure.

Bhurtel was dismissed for a duck, while Aasif Sheikh managed only two. Nepal found themselves at 12 for two, giving Afghanistan hope of defending their modest total.

Sundeep Jora responded with a calm innings when Nepal needed stability.

Jora scored 34 from 35 balls, keeping the chase moving without taking unnecessary risks. Kushal Malla added nine before being run out, and Jora was also run out as Nepal slipped to 56 for four.

The game was not completely settled yet.

Rohit guides Nepal towards victory

Rohit Paudel then took responsibility for completing the chase.

He remained unbeaten on 33 from 32 balls, hitting four boundaries and keeping Nepal in control during the second half of the innings.

Captain Dipendra Singh Airee supported him with 15 from 18 deliveries as the pair moved Nepal to the brink of victory.

Dipendra was dismissed with the score on 102 for five after 17.1 overs, leaving Nepal needing just one run.

Gulshan Jha walked to the crease and scored the winning single from his first delivery, completing the chase at 103 for five in 17.2 overs.

Strong start for Nepal

Nepal’s victory was built on a complete team performance rather than one explosive individual innings.

Lalit provided the early breakthroughs, Bhurtel dismantled Afghanistan’s middle order, Jora steadied the chase and Rohit ensured Nepal stayed in control until the finish.

The five-wicket win gives Nepal an important start to their Asian Games campaign as they now turn their attention towards their next Group A match against hosts Japan.

A second victory would put Nepal in a strong position as they continue their push towards the knockout stage.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 102/7 in 20 overs (Faisal Shinozada 30, Najibullah Zadran 30; Kushal Bhurtel 4/21, Lalit Rajbanshi 3/13) lost to Nepal 103/5 in 17.2 overs (Sundeep Jora 34, Rohit Paudel 33 not out) by five wickets.