Nepal off to a great start at the Asian Games by defeating Afghanistan.

Nepal has made a brilliant start to their Asian Games cricket campaign, defeating Afghanistan by 5 wickets in a Group A match. They surpassed Afghanistan's total of 102 runs with 16 balls to spare.

After winning the toss and electing to bat at the Kurogi Sports Park in Nishin, Afghanistan found themselves under pressure right from the start. Nepali spinner Lalit Rajbanshi dealt a blow to the Afghan top order by claiming three wickets in his first three overs. Kushal Bhurtel also bowled superbly alongside him; together, the duo claimed seven Afghan wickets.

Afghanistan restricted to 102 by Rajbanshi and Bhurtel

Faisal Khan Ahmadzai and Najibullah Zadran stepped up to steady the innings after Afghanistan had lost three wickets for just 16 runs. Both scored 30 runs each, sharing a 39-run partnership.

However, Nepal's leg-spinner Kushal Bhurtel dismissed both of them. He finished with figures of 4 for 21 from his four overs. Despite Nangeyalia Kharote remaining unbeaten on 17 towards the end, Afghanistan's innings concluded at 102 for 7 in 20 overs.

Early trouble, followed by resistance from Jora and Paudel

Nepal also faced early difficulties while chasing the target of 103 runs, finding themselves under pressure after losing three wickets for just 31 runs. Opener Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed for a duck off two balls, followed by Aasif Sheikh, who departed for 2 runs.

Sandeep Jora and Rohit Paudel then turned the tide of the match. Jora scored 34 off 35 balls, while captain Paudel steered the team towards victory with an unbeaten 33 off 32 balls. Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 15 runs.

Ultimately, Nepal secured the win by reaching 103 for 5 in 17.2 overs. The winning run came off the bat of Gulshan Jha. Victory for Nepal in Opening Match

This was Nepal's first match of the current Asian Games. Meanwhile, Afghanistan had already secured a win by defeating Japan. Consequently, Nepal's victory has intensified the contest in Group A, which comprises Nepal, Afghanistan, and hosts Japan.

Nepal will now face Japan in their next match. In the men's Asian Games cricket tournament, the top four teams across the groups will advance to the quarter-finals.

Match Summary

Afghanistan: 102/7 in 20 overs
Faisal Khan 30, Najibullah 30, Nangeyalia Kharote 17*; Kushal Bhurtel 4/21, Lalit Rajbanshi 3/13.

Nepal: 103/5 in 17.2 overs
Sandeep Jora 34, Rohit Paudel 33*, Dipendra Singh Airee 15; Faridun Daudzai 1/10, Abdullah Ahmadzai 1/15.

Result: Nepal won by 5 wickets.