Match Report
Nepal stun Afghanistan in Nisshin to top Asian Games Group A
Bhurtel’s four wickets restricted Afghanistan to 102 for 7 before Airee guided a tense chase home with 16 balls to spare.
By CricRadio Blog
Nepal produced the upset of the Asian Games so far, beating Afghanistan by five wickets at Korogi Sports Park to go top of Group A. A disciplined bowling effort and a composed chase did what few expected against the group favourites.
Nepal 103/5 (17.2 ov) beat Afghanistan 102/7 (20 ov) by 5 wickets
Group A, Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
Key moments
Overs 1–4: Lalit Raj takes three wickets in nine balls. Afghanistan 18 for 3.
Overs 5–13: Faisal Noori and Zahir Karimi rebuild with a stand of 37.
Overs 14–20: Sandeep Bhurtel returns to take 4 for 21; just 31 runs come in the last seven overs.
Chase, over 9: Nepal lose two wickets in three balls and slip to 56 for 4.
Overs 10–17: Dipesh Airee and Rohan Paudel add 46 to settle the chase.
Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faisal Noori | c Airee b Bhurtel | 30 | 33 | 90.91 |
| Zahir Karimi | c Thapa b Bhurtel | 30 | 40 | 75.00 |
| Nasir Kharoti | not out | 17 | 15 | 113.33 |
| Extras | (b 3, lb 1, w 2) | 6 | ||
| Total | 20 overs | 102/7 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lalit Raj | 4 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Sandeep Bhurtel | 4 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 5.25 |
| Karan Thapa | 4 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 6.75 |
The partnership that decided it
At 56 for 4 the chase was wobbling. Airee and Paudel took no risks against the spinners, running hard to keep the rate in check, then targeted the shorter leg-side boundary once the seamers returned.
| Runs | Balls | |
|---|---|---|
| Dipesh Airee | 15* | 18 |
| Rohan Paudel | 27 | 22 |
| Stand | 46 | 40 |
What changed the match?
Bhurtel’s second spell. Brought back with Afghanistan looking to accelerate, he conceded only seven runs from the 17th and 19th overs and took four wickets, the best figures of the tournament so far. Afghanistan were heading for 125; they finished on 102.
What the result means
Nepal now need only to avoid a heavy defeat against Hong Kong to reach the quarter-finals as group winners. Afghanistan must beat Hong Kong on Sunday and hope results elsewhere go their way.
