Afghanistan vs Nepal Live Score: Asian Games Men’s T20I, 2026 Live Updates and Ball-By-Ball Commentary

Runs hard to come by - Run-scoring has been hard work so far in the men's competition, with 130 not even breached yet, which is a complete contrast to what we saw on the women's side of things. You'd think Afghanistan would be better equipped to handle the conditions, having played one game already. Stick around for the toss and team news.

Why this game matters - Finishing as runners-up in this group means running straight into a full-strength India side in the quarter-finals. That's not to say India are unbeatable. Anyone can be beaten on their day. But if you are Afghanistan or Nepal, you'd much rather top the group and set up a quarter-final against Sri Lanka instead, who are fielding a second-string outfit.

The action continues - We move into the second game of the day, and it's a cracker with Afghanistan taking on Nepal. These are the two sides expected to progress from Group A, with both expected to get past Japan along the way. Afghanistan have already ticked that box with a win, while Nepal still have that fixture to come.

... MATCH DAY ...

A key clash in Group A - The men's competition moves into its second game in Group A, with Afghanistan taking on Nepal at Korogi Sports Park. Afghanistan have started with a win and will be looking to build on that result, with another victory securing their place in the knockout stage. Nepal, meanwhile, will be looking to make a strong start and put themselves in a good position to progress from the group. Experience to make the difference - In their bid to go one better than their silver-medal finish last time around, Afghanistan have started with a win. They had to fight it out with the bat against Japan, but with the ball they proved too good for the hosts. It was not an easy wicket to bat on, as Afghanistan found out. Having spent some time in the middle, the likes of Mohammad Akram, Karim Janat, Mohammad Ishaq and captain Darwish Rasooli will be better equipped to handle the conditions against Nepal. As they say, experience cannot be bought in the market, and you cannot look past Najibullah Zadran, with the game against Japan marking his 200th international appearance for Afghanistan. Variety in the attack - Abdollah Ahmadzai showed he can generate good pace and make life uncomfortable for the batters, while Faridoon Dawoodzai also has enough variations to keep the batters guessing. It gives Afghanistan a useful combination of pace and change-ups to work with. Spin remains Afghanistan's major weapon, with Nangeyalia Kharote providing an established option in the attack and Arab Gul looking to build on an impressive debut. The leg-spinner made an immediate impact against Japan, taking 4 wickets, and will be one to watch out for in this clash. Nepal on the rise - Nepal come into the tournament with a settled group and plenty of experience in T20 cricket. They have also been making strides in the 50-over format, recently securing qualification for next year's Asia Cup after beating UAE in the ACC Men's Premier Cup final. It is another sign of their progress across formats and the growing stature of Nepalese cricket. Their run at the previous edition of the Asian Games ended at the quarter-final stage, and they will be keen to go deeper this time around under the leadership of Dipendra Singh Airee. A settled batting group - Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh provide an experienced opening combination, while Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee bring stability and experience in the middle order. Kushal Malla, Sundeep Jora and Gulshan Jha give Nepal further firepower down the order. Pace and spin options - Nepal's spin department could be particularly important at Korogi Sports Park. Sandeep Lamichhane remains the standout name, while Lalit Rajbanshi provides another established option. Dipendra and Kushal Malla can also chip in, giving Nepal several ways of managing the middle overs. Karan KC and Sompal Kami bring plenty of experience and are the key figures in Nepal's pace department. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, recent first) - AFG - WLLLW | NEP - WWWWW. Conditions check - The women's competition saw scores on the higher side, but if the opening game of the men's competition was anything to go by, scoring was anything but easy. The slow nature of the surface, with the ball seaming around upfront and the spinners also finding plenty of assistance, made batting a challenge. If that is anything to go by, we could be in for another tricky outing for the batters. A battle with little history - There is not much history between these two sides, with their only previous T20I meeting coming at the 2014 T20 World Cup, where Nepal came out on top. A lot has changed since then, though, and with both sides looking well matched on paper, this promises to be an intriguing contest.