After choosing to bat at Korogi Sports Park, Afghanistan were held to 102 for seven from their 20 overs. Faisal Shinozada and Najibullah Zadran made 30 each, but neither could turn a cautious recovery into the late surge the innings needed.
Nepal’s spinners controlled the middle overs. Kushal Bhurtel took four wickets for 21 runs, while Lalit Rajbanshi claimed three for 13, leaving Afghanistan without enough room to defend once Nepal settled into the chase.
Afghanistan made an immediate breakthrough when Faridoon Dawoodzai removed Bhurtel for a duck. Abdullah Ahmadzai then dismissed Aasif Sheikh, but Sundeep Jora’s 34 from 35 balls steadied Nepal after the early losses.
Rohit Paudel carried the chase through its decisive phase with an unbeaten 33 from 32 balls. Nepal reached 103 for five in 17.2 overs, sealing only their second T20 international victory over Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s bowlers kept the contest alive by taking five wickets, including one each for Dawoodzai, Ahmadzai and Arab Gul Momand. The total, however, offered little margin for error, and Nepal’s required rate remained manageable throughout the second half of the chase.
The defeat leaves Afghanistan with one win and one loss from their two Group A matches. Nepal face Japan next, with the final group standings determining which two teams advance to the quarter-finals.
Afghanistan had opened the tournament on Thursday by defending 129 for six and beating Japan by 48 runs. Friday’s batting collapse exposed a sharper test against Nepal’s slow bowlers and removed the certainty that followed that first result.
Sources: Cricbuzz match scorecard; ESPN Asian Games fixtures and results; Reuters tournament format report.
