Nepal beat Afghanistan by five wickets with 16 balls remaining in the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition, reaching 103 for 5 after restricting Afghanistan to 102 for 7. Kushal Bhurtel’s four-wicket haul set up the result, before Sundeep Jora’s 34 and Rohit Paudel’s 33 carried Nepal through a composed 17.2-over chase.
The result levels the series at 1-1 after Afghanistan had opened their Group A campaign with a 48-run victory a day earlier. Nepal’s next assignment is against Japan on Friday, while Malaysia meet Oman in the other scheduled match.
Bhurtel and Rajbanshi squeeze Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s innings never gathered sustained momentum against Nepal’s disciplined attack. Faisal Khan Ahmadzai and Najibullah Zadran shared top-scoring honours with 30 runs each, while Nangeyalia Khan contributed 17, but the innings closed at 102 for 7 from 20 overs.
Bhurtel was the decisive bowler, taking four wickets to dismantle Afghanistan’s efforts to build a defendable total. Lalit Rajbanshi backed him with three wickets, leaving Kushal Malla wicketless as Nepal kept Afghanistan to a modest target.
Jora and Paudel guide the chase
Nepal needed 103 and completed the job at 103 for 5 in 17.2 overs. Jora led the scoring with 34, while captain Paudel made 33 in an important contribution to the chase. Dipendra Singh Airee added 15 as Nepal absorbed Afghanistan’s pressure and retained enough wickets to finish with 16 balls unused.
Faridoon Dawoodzai, Arab Gul and Abdollah Ahmadzai claimed one wicket apiece for Afghanistan, but Nepal’s middle-order contributions ensured the asking rate never became a major concern. The five-wicket result gives Nepal an immediate response in Group A and brings the series back level.
Key performers
- Kushal Bhurtel, Nepal: 4 wickets
- Lalit Rajbanshi, Nepal: 3 wickets
- Sundeep Jora, Nepal: 34 runs
- Rohit Paudel, Nepal: 33 runs
- Faisal Khan Ahmadzai, Afghanistan: 30 runs
- Najibullah Zadran, Afghanistan: 30 runs
NerdSports Stat: Sundeep Jora and Rohit Paudel combined for 67 of Nepal’s 103 runs, seven more than Afghanistan’s two joint-top scorers, Faisal Khan Ahmadzai and Najibullah Zadran, managed together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nepal won the match by five wickets with 16 balls remaining.
The series is level at 1-1 after Nepal’s five-wicket victory.
Sundeep Jora top-scored with 34 runs.
Japan face Nepal in the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition on Friday, September 25.
