Sport
Afghanistan open Asian Games cricket campaign with win over Japan
The reigning Asian Games silver medalists posted 129 runs before bowling Japan out for 81 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Afghanistan began their men’s cricket campaign at the 2026 Asian Games with a 48-run victory over hosts Japan in Nagoya on Thursday.
The reigning Asian Games silver medalists posted 129 runs before bowling Japan out for 81 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Arab Gul was Afghanistan’s leading bowler with four wickets for eight runs, while Nangeyalia Kharote claimed three for 19 as Afghanistan took control of the match after Japan reached 53 for three in the eighth over.
Japan lost their final eight wickets for just 28 runs.
Reo Sakurano-Thomas top-scored for Japan with 23, while Benjamin Ito-Davis made a quick 17 from eight balls.
Earlier, Afghanistan opener Mohammad Akram scored 34 from 29 balls, while captain Darwish Rasooli made 29 and Karim Janat contributed 21.
Mohammad Ishaq finished unbeaten on 25 from 17 deliveries to help Afghanistan set Japan a target of 130.
The match also marked the international debut of Hassan Eisakhil, son of veteran Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi. Eisakhil was dismissed leg before wicket for three.
Afghanistan will face Nepal in their second Group A match on Friday, September 25, also at Korogi Sports Park.
Tournament format
The men’s cricket competition features 10 teams and is being played in the T20 format.
Six teams are competing in the preliminary group stage, with Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal in Group A, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman form Group B.
Each team in the preliminary stage plays the other teams in its group once. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals, where they will meet India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who received direct entry to the knockout stage.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for September 28 and 29, followed by the semi-finals on October 1.
The bronze-medal match and gold-medal final will both be played on October 3.
All men’s cricket matches are being played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi.
Afghanistan entered the tournament as the silver medallists from the previous Asian Games, where India won gold and Bangladesh took bronze.
The Afghanistan squad is captained by Darwish Rasooli and includes experienced players such as Karim Janat and Najibullah Zadran, alongside several young players. Mohammad Akram earned his place after impressive domestic league campaigns, while Ismat Alam also joined the squad after being named best player following a domestic league.
Other notable players competing at the Asian Games include India’s Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma, Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and Bangladesh’s Litton Das.
Afghanistan will be looking to build on Thursday’s victory when they take on Nepal on Friday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake
Sport
Afghanistan Champions League: Arman FC and Aino Mina play out goalless draw
Arman FC will return to action on September 28, when they face Sarsabz Yashlar. Aino Mina Kandahar will play their next match on September 29 against Toofan Herat.
Arman FC and Aino Mina Kandahar played out a goalless draw on Friday in the 22nd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul.
Both sides started the match with an attacking approach, creating several opportunities and making efforts to break the deadlock. However, neither team was able to convert their chances as the first half ended without a goal.
The attacking contest continued after the restart, with both Arman FC and Aino Mina looking for an opening goal. Arman FC continued to push forward in search of a breakthrough, while Aino Mina also created opportunities of their own.
Despite the efforts from both sides and several attempts to find the decisive goal, neither team managed to unlock the opposition defense. The match ultimately ended 0–0, with both teams taking a point from the encounter.
The match also saw Aino Mina commit 15 fouls and receive one yellow card. Arman FC committed eight fouls and finished the game without receiving either a yellow or a red card.
Arman FC will return to action on September 28, when they face Sarsabz Yashlar. Aino Mina Kandahar will play their next match on September 29 against Toofan Herat.
Matches in the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Nepal beat Afghanistan in Asian Games cricket
Nepal made a strong start to their Asian Games campaign on Friday, defeating Afghanistan by six wickets after bowling them out for 102.
Afghanistan, who had beaten Japan in their opening match, struggled against Nepal’s disciplined bowling attack after choosing to bat first.
Afghanistan lost their first three wickets for just 16 runs. Faisal Shinozada then steadied the innings with 30 runs from 33 balls, putting together a 39-run partnership with Najibullah Zadran.
However, Shinozada’s dismissal triggered another collapse, with Afghanistan falling from 55 for four to 65 for six. Zadran remained at the crease and scored 30, while Nangeyalia Kharote added 17 runs to help Afghanistan pass 100.
Nepal’s bowlers Lalit Rajbanshi and Kushal Bhurtel were the main contributors. Rajbanshi took three wickets for 13 runs, while Bhurtel claimed four for 21 and came close to a hat-trick.
Chasing 103, Nepal also lost two early wickets to slip to 12 for two. Captain Rohit Paudel and Sundeep Jora then steadied the innings.
Paudel remained unbeaten on 33, while Jora scored 34 as Nepal comfortably moved towards the target and completed the chase with six wickets in hand.
The victory gives Nepal a winning start to their Asian Games campaign, while Afghanistan now have one win and one defeat from their opening two matches.
Nepal will face Japan on September 26, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
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