Nepal Faces Indonesia in Asian Games T20 Qualifier

Kathmandu. With the aim of qualifying for the Asian Games to be held in Japan in 2026, Nepal will face Indonesia in the sixth match of the Asian Games Women's T-20 Qualifier on Thursday. This match will start at 11:45 AM at the Biomass Oval ground in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Having won its first match, Nepal is at the top of the points table in Group 'B'. Nepal defeated China by 19 runs in its first match.

In the said match, Nepal, batting first, scored 125 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Although the important wicket of Samjhana Khadka was lost early in the innings, Pooja Mahato played an excellent innings of 63 runs off 55 balls with the help of 6 fours. Similarly, Sony Pakhrin and Ruby Poddar also made good contributions.

China, chasing a target of 126 runs, got off to a good start with a 30-run partnership for the first wicket between Jiaping Li and Wei Haiting. Similarly, Mingyue Zhu scored 30 runs off 28 balls. As long as she was at the crease, it was estimated that China would easily achieve the target.

However, after she got out, the lower-order batters could not stay at the crease, and China was restricted to 106 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Thus, Nepal managed to win the match by 19 runs.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is at the bottom of the points table after suffering a defeat in its first match. The team lost to China by 3 wickets in the first match.

Malaysia is hosting all the Women's T-20 Qualifier matches at the Biomass Oval from May 26 to 31. The six participating teams in this qualifying tournament have been divided into two groups. Group 'A' includes Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand, while Group 'B' includes Nepal, China, and Indonesia.

After the round-robin league, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. A total of three teams, including the two teams that reach the final and the one that wins the third-place playoff, will secure a place in the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Host Japan and ICC full member nations Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the tournament automatically.

The team will be led by regular captain Indu Barma, while Pooja Mahato has been given the responsibility of vice-captain. The team includes experienced players Sita Rana Magar and Rubina Chhetri, along with Bindu Rawal, Samjhana Khadka, Ruby Poddar, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, and Riya Sharma.

Similarly, Anu Kathayat, Manisha Upadhyay, Sony Pakhrin, and Simana KC have also made it to the national team. In addition to the main team, CAN has kept four players on the reserve list. The reserve players include Savitri Dhami, Somu Bisht, Sana Praveen, and Laxmi Saud.