Kathmandu, September 21
Nepal’s national cricket team has repeatedly found its Asian Games campaign ending at the quarter-final stage. This time, however, the team is heading to the 20th Asian Games in Japan, determined to rewrite that history and open a new chapter.
After failing to progress beyond the quarter-finals in their previous three appearances, Nepal has set a clear target of reaching at least the semi-finals and putting itself in contention for a historic medal.
Nepal secured its place in the Asian Games after winning the Asian Games qualifying tournament in Singapore. The team has been drawn in Group A alongside Afghanistan, one of Asia’s established cricketing sides, and hosts Japan.
Afghanistan will present the biggest challenge in the group. Nepal is set to face Afghanistan at the Asian Games after a gap of exactly 12 years. The two sides previously met in the quarter-finals of the 2014 Asian Games and later that year at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
Japan, meanwhile, is a more familiar opponent than it might initially appear. Nepal recently faced Japan during the global qualification process for the T20 World Cup, giving the Nepali side an opportunity to assess the hosts’ strengths and weaknesses.
While both opponents are familiar to Nepal in terms of recent or past experience, the challenge remains significant. Afghanistan has not sent its full senior side, but its squad remains competitive. Japan, meanwhile, is expected to field its regular team.
With only three teams in the group, one victory could be enough to put Nepal in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals.
Captain Dipendra Singh Airee says the team is travelling to Japan with a medal in mind.
“Everyone is experienced, the team is good and our practice sessions have also gone well. We are going with the target of returning with a medal,” Airee said.
Head coach Stuart Law has also set his sights beyond simply participating.
“We are not going there just to be present. We also want to prove what level we are at. We will have to beat some very good teams, so we will play with high confidence,” Law said.
The team and its preparation
Nepal did not have a separate, specialised preparation programme specifically for the Asian Games. Instead, the team planned to use the various competitions and series played in the lead-up to the Games as part of its preparation.
Nepal participated in the Top End T20 Series in Darwin, Australia, although it was the A team that represented Nepal rather than the senior side. Nepal won two of its six matches in the competition.
Three players who featured in the Top End series are part of Nepal’s Asian Games squad — Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla and Lokesh Bam.
The senior team was busy competing in the ODI-format Premier Cup at the time.
As a result, most members of the Asian Games squad will arrive in Japan having recently played ODI cricket. Bhurtel was the standout performer among the three players who featured in the Top End series, while Malla and Bam were unable to make the same impact.
The fact that most of the squad has been playing ODIs could present a challenge when switching to the T20 format. However, captain Dipendra believes the players are coming into the tournament in good rhythm.
“Kushal [Bhurtel] also played well in the Top End. Aasif scored a century in the Premier Cup. The bowlers have also been doing well. I feel everyone is in good rhythm, so the preparation has been good,” he said.
The experience of playing against strong teams in overseas conditions could also prove useful for Nepal at the Asian Games.
Three Asian Games appearances, three quarter-finals
Nepal first participated in cricket at the Asian Games in 2010. At the Games in China, Nepal lost to Hong Kong in the group stage but defeated the Maldives to reach the quarter-finals. Its campaign ended with a defeat against Sri Lanka in the last eight.
At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Nepal defeated Kuwait and the Maldives in the group stage to reach the quarter-finals.
Nepal then lost to Afghanistan by eight runs in the last eight. Chasing Afghanistan’s target of 120, Nepal scored 111 for seven in its 20 overs.
Nepal again reached the quarter-finals at the 2022 Asian Games in China after defeating Mongolia and the Maldives in the group stage. Its campaign ended with a defeat against India in the quarter-finals.
Three appearances, three quarter-final exits.
Breaking that pattern will therefore be Nepal’s first major objective this time.
Captain Dipendra says the team is aiming to return with a medal.
“We have been playing good cricket. If we cannot win gold, our target is to return with some other medal,” he said.
Coach Law acknowledges that progressing beyond the quarter-finals will be difficult, but sees it as an opportunity to test Nepal against the best.
“In T20 cricket, anyone can produce a good result. We have to play our best on the day. To progress, we will have to beat some excellent teams,” Law said.
One win could be enough to reach the quarter-finals
Nepal is in Group A alongside Afghanistan and Japan. With three teams in the group, winning at least one match could put Nepal in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals.
But facing Afghanistan and Japan will not be straightforward. Even with the possibility that one win could be enough to progress, Nepal will need consistent performances throughout the group stage.
The immediate priority will be to secure a place in the quarter-finals. From there, Nepal will look to reach the semi-finals for the first time in its Asian Games history.
If Nepal reaches the quarter-finals, it could face either India or Sri Lanka.
Nepal also faced India in the quarter-finals at the previous Asian Games, where its campaign came to an end.
To win a medal at the Asian Games, Nepal will have to compete against teams of this calibre. Reaching the quarter-finals, therefore, would represent only one stage of the journey.
In recent years, Nepal has increasingly had opportunities to compete against teams such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in international cricket.
The experience gained from those encounters could help Nepal compete against stronger opposition in Japan.
A chance to rewrite history
Nepal’s cricket journey at the Asian Games has so far ended at the quarter-final stage on all three occasions. This time, the team has an opportunity to go beyond that barrier.
The challenge will be considerable — from facing strong opposition in the Top End T20 Series to taking on Afghanistan and Japan in the group stage and potentially meeting another major cricketing nation in the quarter-finals.
For Nepal, however, progressing beyond the quarter-finals would mark a new chapter in its Asian Games cricket history.
Nepal squad: Dipendra Singh Airee (captain), Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Lokesh Bam, Sandeep Jora, Sher Malla and Kushal Malla.
