Afghanistan made a commanding start to their Asian Games 2026 cricket campaign, defeating hosts Japan by 48 runs in a Group A clash at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Thursday, 24 September. The second-string Afghan side defended a modest 129, with their spin attack dismantling Japan for 81 in 19.3 overs.

Afghanistan's Batting: Steady but Measured

Invited to bat first, Afghanistan got off to a reasonable start through debutant opener Mohammad Akram, who struck 34 off 29 balls, though Hassan Eisakhil struggled at the other end, managing just 3 off 10 deliveries. The innings stalled alarmingly, with Afghanistan slipping to 79/4 in 15.1 overs, leaving them well short of a par total.

The recovery came through a crucial 44-run partnership off just 25 balls between captain Darwish Rasooli (29 off 27 balls) and wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq, whose blistering 25 off 17 balls propelled Afghanistan to 129/6 at the close of their 20 overs. For Japan, off-spinner Ibrahim Takahashi was the standout bowler with figures of 2-19, supported by Shoma Sugaya-Slater who took 2-18.

Japan's Chase Collapses Under Spin

Japan began the chase with intent, but lost opener Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake to pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai for a duck in the very first over. The hosts regrouped, with Reo Sakurano-Thomas (23), Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (14), and Benjamin Ito-Davis (17) combining to push Japan to 53/1 in 7.3 overs — needing 77 off 75 balls at that stage.

However, left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharoti and Najibullah Zadran — making his first international appearance in over two years — each struck before debutant leg-spinner Arab Gul Momand turned the match decisively. Gul bowled two double-wicket maiden overs as Japan collapsed from 60/3 to 63/8, losing five wickets without adding a run. The last two wickets fell to Ahmadzai and Kharoti, with Japan bundled out for 81, handing Afghanistan a convincing 48-run win.

Debutant Gul Momand Steals the Show

The performance of the match belonged to debutant leg-spinner Arab Gul Momand, who returned remarkable figures of 4-8, including those two back-to-back double-wicket maidens that crushed Japan's chase. His control and turn on what appeared a benign surface underscored Afghanistan's depth of spin talent even in a second-string side. Nangeyalia Kharoti supported with 3-19 as the spin duo accounted for seven of the ten wickets.

Group A Standings and What Comes Next

With this victory, Afghanistan top Group A after matchday one. Both Afghanistan and Japan will next face Nepal, the third team in their group. The top two sides from Group A will advance to the quarterfinals. Afghanistan's depth and experience make them strong favourites to progress, while Japan will need a dramatic improvement with the bat to stay in contention.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan 129/6 in 20 overs (Mohammad Akram 34, Darwish Rasooli 29; Ibrahim Takahashi 2-19, Shoma Sugaya-Slater 2-18) beat Japan 81 all out in 19.3 overs (Reo Sakurano-Thomas 23, Benjamin Ito-Davis 17; Arab Gul Momand 4-8, Nangeyalia Kharoti 3-19) by 48 runs.