Nepal vs Japan, Asian Games Cricket, 26 September 2026: Rain Ends Japan’s Chase, Nepal Top Group A
Nepal topped Group A and Japan were knocked out of the Asian Games men’s cricket tournament on Saturday 26 September 2026 after rain washed out Japan’s chase in Nisshin. Nepal had scored 149 for 4 in a rain-reduced 15 overs, with Sundeep Jora and Lokesh Bam hitting unbeaten half-centuries, but no ball could be bowled in Japan’s innings, so the match ended with no result. “Nepal vs Japan” trended on Google Trends India that day.
Prepared on Saturday, 26 September 2026, 9:59 PM IST. The date is read from our publishing system’s clock. Facts are as reported by the sources listed below at that time and may have changed since.
Nepal vs Japan at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Asian Games 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya), men’s cricket, Twenty20 format |
| Match | 5th match, Group A |
| Venue | Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan |
| Date and start | Saturday 26 September 2026, 9:00 AM Japan time (5:30 AM IST) |
| Toss | Japan won the toss and chose to field |
| Nepal innings | 149/4 in 15 overs (match reduced to 15 overs a side by rain) |
| Result | No result: rain allowed no play in Japan’s innings |
| Effect | Nepal finish top of Group A; Japan eliminated |
How Nepal’s innings went
- Rain interrupted the innings before it began and again in the fifth over.
- Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla and Gulsan Jha were all out for single-digit scores. Aasif Sheikh scored 21 off 15 balls and added 55 for the second wicket with Sundeep Jora. Nepal were 84 for 4 after ten overs.
- Sundeep Jora, who came in at No. 3 in the third over, finished with an unbeaten 57 off 32 balls (five fours, three sixes).
- Lokesh Bam then hit an unbeaten 52 off 22 balls (one four, six sixes), and the pair took Nepal to 149, which meant 65 runs in the last five overs.
- For Japan, Reo Sakurano-Thomas took 1 for 7 in two overs.
Why Japan are out
Cricinfo said Japan faced a steep chase, needing to top 149 in just 15 overs, but rain washed out the chase entirely, so nobody will know whether they could have done it. Japan, the hosts, finished with one point from two matches (a heavy defeat to Afghanistan and this no result).
Group A table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | No result | Points | Net run rate | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +0.842 | Advanced to the knockout stage |
| Afghanistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +0.846 | Advanced to the knockout stage |
| Japan (host) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −2.400 | Eliminated |
Earlier Group A results
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 September | Afghanistan 129/6 beat Japan 81 (19.3 overs) by 48 runs. Arab Gul took 4 for 8 for Afghanistan. |
| Friday 25 September | Nepal beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets: Afghanistan 102/7, Nepal 103/5 in 17.2 overs. Kushal Bhurtel took 4 for 21 and Sundeep Jora scored 34. |
| Saturday 26 September | Nepal 149/4 (15 overs) v Japan: no result (rain). |
What happens next
The tournament has ten teams and runs from 24 September to 3 October 2026 at Kōrogi Sports Park. The six lowest-seeded teams played in two groups of three. The top two from each group go into the quarter-finals to join the four highest-seeded teams that received byes, which, by elimination from the squad list, are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In Group B, Malaysia and Hong Kong advanced and Oman went out. The sources we read did not list the quarter-final fixtures, so please check the official schedule for dates and opponents. Nepal captain Dipendra Singh Airee leads the side; Japan were captained by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Nepal vs Japan?
Nobody. Rain washed out Japan’s chase after Nepal scored 149/4 in 15 overs, so the match ended with no result.
Has Nepal qualified for the quarter-finals?
Yes. Nepal finished top of Group A with three points and advanced along with Afghanistan.
Are Japan out?
Yes. Japan finished third in Group A with one point and were eliminated.
Who scored the runs for Nepal?
Sundeep Jora scored 57 not out off 32 balls and Lokesh Bam 52 not out off 22 balls.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo: Japan knocked out after rain washes out steep chase against Nepal (26 Sep 2026)
- Wikipedia: Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, men’s tournament (groups, scores, format)
