Hangzhou: Nepal stunned Afghanistan by five wickets in their Asian Games cricket Group A opener at Korogi Sports Park on Friday, throwing the quarterfinal qualification race wide open.

Chasing a modest target of 103, Nepal recovered from a shaky start to reach 106/5 and seal victory with two overs remaining. Rohit Paudel anchored the chase with an unbeaten 33 off 32 balls, while Sundeep Jora contributed 34 off 35 balls and captain Dipendra Singh Airee scored 15 off 18.

Earlier, Nepal’s spinners Kushal Bhurtel and Lalit Rajbanshi combined to claim seven Afghanistan wickets and restrict the opposition to 102.

The result leaves Afghanistan with one win and one defeat from their two league matches. With each team playing only two games in the three-team group, Afghanistan have completed their league fixtures but remain at the top of Group A on net run rate.

Afghanistan struggle against Nepal’s spinners

Afghanistan were unable to build momentum after being put under pressure by Nepal’s spin attack.

Rajbanshi was particularly economical, conceding only 13 runs in his four overs while taking three wickets. Bhurtel also played a key role, claiming four wickets as Afghanistan struggled to score freely.

Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran provided some resistance with identical scores of 30. Nangeyalia Kharoti added 17 towards the end, but Afghanistan could manage only 102.

The total left Nepal with a manageable target, although Afghanistan’s bowling attack initially put the chasing side under considerable pressure.

Nepal lose three early wickets

Nepal’s chase got off to a difficult start.

Faridoon Dawoodzai dismissed Bhurtel for a duck, while right-arm fast bowler Abdullah Ahmadzai removed Aasif Sheikh for two.

Nepal then suffered another setback when Kushal Malla was run out in the seventh over. At 31/3 after 6.3 overs, the team was in danger of allowing Afghanistan back into the contest.

Sundeep Jora and Rohit Paudel, however, steadied the innings.

The pair kept the scoreboard moving through singles and twos while picking up boundaries whenever opportunities arose. Jora struck a four and a six across the ninth and 10th overs before he was run out in the 10th over.

Rohit Paudel guides Nepal home

With Nepal still needing runs, Dipendra Singh Airee joined Rohit at the crease.

The pair adopted a cautious approach, avoiding unnecessary risks while steadily reducing the target. Rohit then found the boundary three times across the 16th and 17th overs as Nepal moved within touching distance of victory.

Dipendra was dismissed in the 18th over when Nepal were level with Afghanistan’s total.

With only a handful of runs required, Gulsan Jha completed the chase by taking a single and sealing a five-wicket victory for Nepal.

Rohit remained unbeaten on 33, having played a key role in guiding Nepal through the difficult middle phase of the chase.

Afghanistan now face qualification pressure

The defeat leaves Afghanistan with one victory and one loss from their two Group A matches.

They have no league game remaining, meaning their qualification hopes now depend on the outcome of Nepal’s final group match against Japan and the resulting net run-rate calculations.

Nepal, meanwhile, have started their campaign with a win and will face Japan in their final league fixture.

Each team in the three-team group plays two matches, with the top two sides advancing to the quarterfinals.

That makes Nepal’s remaining match particularly important for the final Group A standings.

Quarterfinal race wide open

Afghanistan’s defeat means the Group A qualification picture remains unresolved despite the team currently occupying the top position on net run rate.

Nepal have given themselves an early advantage with their victory, while Japan are still searching for their first win.

With only two league matches per team, every result and the margin of victory can have a significant bearing on the final standings.

Nepal’s five-wicket win has therefore added considerable interest to the final Group A fixture, with the quarterfinal places still to be decided.


(This story has not been edited by News Karnataka staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)