TOKYO: Nepal beat Afghanistan in T20 match of the Asian Games.
The Afghanistan cricket team’s historic defeat against Nepal by five wickets in the Asian Games cricket event has delivered a major setback to the nation’s campaign.
Played at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first on a spinning track, a decision that failed to yield favorable results.
The team managed only 102 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted overs. Faisal Khan and Najibullah Zadran emerged as joint top-scorers with 30 runs each, while Nangeyalia Kharoti remained unbeaten on 17.
For Nepal, Kushal Bhurtel claimed four wickets, supported by Lalit Rajbanshi with three.
In response, Nepal faced early top-order struggles, losing three wickets with just 31 runs on the board. However, responsible innings from Sandeep Jora (34) and captain Rohit Paudel (unbeaten 33) guided the Nepali side to successfully chase the target in the 18th overs with five wickets in hand.
Afghanistan’s bowlers—Freidoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai, and Arab Gul—managed a single wicket each.
Having recently concluded a tour of India where they suffered clean-sweep defeats in both ODI and T20I series, this latest upset has severely diminished the Afghanistan cricket team’s historic defeat against Nepal and their prospects of advancing in the tournament.
Decline of Afghanistan Cricket in the Past Three Years
Over the past three years, the trajectory of Afghanistan cricket has faced notable turbulence, shifting from a period of rising global competitiveness to inconsistent performances across formats.
While the team historically relied on world-class spin bowling and explosive batting to upset major cricketing nations, recent years have exposed structural vulnerabilities, a lack of depth in domestic infrastructure, and difficulties in maintaining sustained momentum against top-tier competition.
Consecutive series losses, coupled with unexpected setbacks in regional and multi-nation tournaments, highlight a challenging transitional phase.
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Addressing tactical execution, building a stronger bench strength, and adapting to modern white-ball demands remain essential if the Afghanistan cricket team’s historic defeat against Nepal is to serve as a catalyst for institutional reform and long-term revitalization.
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