Afghanistan suffered a stunning five-wicket defeat against Nepal in the Asian Games men’s cricket competition on Friday, as Nepal’s spin attack dismantled their batting lineup before a composed chase secured a memorable victory.
Afghanistan, who had opened their campaign with a win over Japan on Thursday, were expected to build on that result. Instead, they were restricted to just 102 for seven after being sent in to bat at Nisshin.
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Nepal’s bowlers made an immediate impact, reducing Afghanistan to 16 for three inside the fifth over. Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi was at the centre of the early collapse, claiming all three wickets during his first three overs and putting Afghanistan under pressure in the powerplay.
Faisal Ahmadzai, making his T20I debut, attempted to rebuild the innings and top-scored with 30 from 33 deliveries. Najibullah Zadran also made 30 from 30 balls, but Afghanistan struggled to find the acceleration needed in the middle and final overs.
Kushal Bhurtel then compounded Afghanistan’s problems by running through the middle order. He finished with impressive figures of four wickets for 21 runs from his four overs. Together, Bhurtel and Rajbanshi accounted for all seven Afghanistan wickets, leaving their opponents with a modest target of 103.
Nepal’s chase, however, did not begin smoothly. Bhurtel, who had played a major role with the ball, was dismissed for a duck in the opening over. Nepal were subsequently reduced to 31 for three by the seventh over, giving Afghanistan an opportunity to fight their way back into the contest.
But Sundeep Jora and former captain Rohit Paudel steadied the innings when Nepal needed stability. Jora scored a valuable 34, while Paudel remained unbeaten on 33. Gulsan Jha also provided support as Nepal recovered from their early setbacks.
The partnership shifted momentum firmly towards Nepal, who eventually reached 103 for five in 17.2 overs. They completed the chase with 16 balls remaining to seal a five-wicket victory.
The result marks Afghanistan’s first defeat of the competition after their opening win against Japan. For Nepal, it was an impressive opening result built around disciplined spin bowling and a determined response during the chase.
Rajbanshi’s early spell and Bhurtel’s four-wicket haul proved decisive in restricting Afghanistan to a below-par total, while Jora and Paudel ensured Nepal did not surrender their advantage despite their own difficult start.
The five-wicket victory gives Nepal an early boost in Group A, while Afghanistan will have to regroup after a batting collapse that left them with too little to defend. Their inability to recover after losing three wickets during the powerplay ultimately proved costly as Nepal completed one of the tournament’s notable early results.
