The Nepal national men’s cricket team clinched the title in the Asian Games (Asiad) qualifying tournament by defeating Hong Kong by 19 runs under the DLS method. In the competitive final held in Singapore on Monday, Nepal was declared the winner after rain interruptions when they reached 114 runs for 2 wickets in 11.3 overs while chasing Hong Kong’s target of 189 runs.
Experienced Hong Kong batsman Anshuman Rath scored a challenging 80 runs, helping his team amass 188 runs for 7 wickets. Opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel, in excellent form, eased Nepal’s chase by scoring 65 runs off 40 balls. Opting to field first after winning the toss, Nepal gained an early advantage with Sher Malla dismissing Nizakat Khan in the second over and Karan KC sending back seasoned Babar Hayat for a duck in the third over, gaining control in the early stages.
However, Anshuman Rath, a long-standing player in the Hong Kong side, steadied the innings with an aggressive 80 runs off 65 balls, including 6 sixes and 6 fours. His effort was complemented by Shahid Wasif who scored 55 runs off 28 balls. On the bowling front, Sher Malla was outstanding, taking 4 wickets overall. Other bowlers were expensive; Sandeep Lamichhane took 1 wicket for 46 runs, while Karan KC grabbed 2 wickets conceding 45 runs.
Kushal Bhurtel’s batting was instrumental, continuing an impressive run of form where he had scored back-to-back centuries in the last two matches. Despite his opening partner Ashif Sheikh getting out on the very first ball, Kushal maintained composure and attacked the bowlers consistently. He scored 65 runs from 40 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes. Rohit Paudel contributed 35 runs, while captain Dipendra Singh Airee remained unbeaten on 9 runs.
Alongside Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Oman have secured qualification for the 20th Nagoya Asian Games scheduled for September in Japan. On Monday, Malaysia secured third place by defeating Oman by 8 wickets. Previously, teams qualified directly for the Asian Games, but the current regulations require teams to advance through a qualifying stage.
