Japan face Nepal on Saturday, September 26, in a match that could decide who joins Afghanistan in the Asian Games men’s cricket quarter-finals. Nepal arrive after beating Afghanistan; hosts Japan need a response after being bowled out for 81 in their opening game.
Group A has reached its decisive fixture. Afghanistan have completed their two matches and sit on two points, as do Nepal after one game; Japan have none after one. The top two teams advance to the quarter-finals. A Nepal win would take them to four points and top the group. Japan must win to draw all three teams level on two points, leaving net run rate to separate them. With Japan currently on −2.400, compared with Nepal’s +0.842 and Afghanistan’s +0.846, simply winning may not be enough for the hosts.
Nepal’s momentum comes from a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan on September 25. Kushal Bhurtel took 4/21 as Nepal restricted Afghanistan to 102/7, but the chase exposed a concern: Bhurtel fell for a duck and Aasif Sheikh made two. Sundeep Jora’s 34 and Rohit Paudel’s unbeaten 33 steadied the innings, allowing Nepal to reach 103/5 with 16 balls left. Their bowlers delivered the stronger half of that performance; their top order has room to improve.
Japan’s opener told a different story. They held Afghanistan to 129/6, with Shoma Sugaya-Slater and Ibrahim Takahashi taking two wickets each, before collapsing to 81 all out. Reo Sakurano-Thomas top-scored with 23 and Benjamin Ito-Davis struck 17 from eight balls, but Japan lost seven wickets for 28 runs after reaching 53/3. Their attack showed it can keep a strong opponent within reach. The immediate challenge is turning that work into a sustained batting effort.
NEP vs JPN Match details
Asian Games 2026 Live Streaming Info
Asian Games 2026 Country-wise Live Streaming & TV Channels
- India TV: Sony Sports 1, Sony Sports 2, Sony Sports 3, Sony Sports 4, Sony Sports 5 Streaming: SonyLIV app/website
- Nepal TV: Kantipur TV HD, Action Sports Streaming: DishHome GO, Kantipur TV Digital, YuppTV
- Japan (Host) TV: TBS Television (free-to-air Asian Games)Streaming: Limited cricket-specific coverage
- USA & Canada TV / Streaming: Willow TV Alternative: Sling TV (with Willow add-on)
- Singapore TV / Streaming: MeWatch (free-to-air)
- South KoreaTV: KBS, MBC, SBS (free-to-air)
- Middle East (e.g., Qatar, UAE)
Live Streaming Info:
The JPN vs NEP 5th match will be live on Willow TV.
Live Score Info:
Japan vs Nepal 2026: ESPN and Cricbuzz have live scores.
Head-to-Head Summary
The first two Group A games at Korogi Sports Park produced first-innings totals of 129/6 and 102/7. Those results suggest batters should not assume a high-scoring surface, although two matches are too small a sample to declare a fixed pitch pattern. Japan’s bowlers contained Afghanistan, while Nepal’s attack did the same a day later. Building a partnership through the middle overs and keeping wickets in hand could matter more than an all-out powerplay assault.
Nisshin’s September 26 forecast lists a high of 73°F (about 23°C) and a low of 68°F (about 20°C). Weather forecasts differ on rainfall, so a rain interruption cannot be ruled out; neither the amount of rain nor its timing at the ground is certain. Teams should check the latest conditions before the 9:00 a.m. start.
Head-to-head and team analysis
Head-to-head: Japan and Nepal have played one recorded men’s T20 international against each other before this fixture. Nepal won that meeting by five wickets at Al Amerat on October 10, 2025, chasing Japan’s 131/8 with 12 balls remaining. The record therefore stands at one match, one Nepal win and no Japan wins. There are no “last five meetings” to list: only that one previous result is recorded.
Japan’s strength is the range of bowling options they used against Afghanistan. Sugaya-Slater finished with 2/18, Takahashi took 2/19, and Ito-Davis and Sakurano-Thomas also claimed wickets. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming needs runs from the top order, while Sakurano-Thomas and Ito-Davis offer ways to change the scoring rate. The weakness is clear from their first chase: once wickets fell in a cluster, Japan could not recover. A steadier opening stand would give their middle order a better platform.
Nepal can draw on greater recent batting contributions across the order and a varied bowling group. Bhurtel’s four wickets against Afghanistan make him an immediate threat beyond his opening-batter role. Jora supplied the top score in the chase, Paudel finished it, and captain Dipendra Singh Airee adds another all-round option. Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi give Nepal spin choices alongside Karan KC’s pace. The warning for Nepal is their start against Afghanistan: another early collapse could let Japan’s disciplined bowlers dictate the match.
These XIs are projections, not confirmed line-ups. Japan’s selection follows their opening match, while Nepal’s follows the side that beat Afghanistan.
Japan probable XI: Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (captain), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Shirai-Patmore (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Takahashi, Charlie Hara-Hinze, Wataru Miyauchi, Declan Suzuki, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater.
Nepal probable XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Sundeep Jora, Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee (captain), Gulsan Jha, Lokesh Bam, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC.
Nepal are favourites on current form. They have already beaten Afghanistan at this venue, have the only previous head-to-head win, and showed they can recover after losing early wickets. Japan’s route to an upset is plausible but demanding: repeat their controlled bowling display, then avoid the batting collapse that cost them the opener. Given the group standings, the hosts may also need a substantial winning margin, making the pressure on their batters greater still.