Nepal Miss Asian Games Spot After Malaysia Loss

A late fightback was not enough as Malaysia chased down 127 to secure an Asian Games berth, leaving Nepal to play China for third place.

Pushpa Tamang

Saturday, 30 May 2026, 16:00

Nepal players regroup during the Asian Games women's cricket qualifier.

Nepal’s campaign for a direct place at the Asian Games came to an end on Saturday after a narrow defeat to hosts Malaysia in the semifinals of the Asian Games Women’s Cricket Qualifier. The loss leaves Nepal out of the final and ends its hopes of securing qualification through the tournament’s top spot.

The result was particularly painful because Nepal fought its way back into the contest after appearing outplayed for much of Malaysia’s chase. A late burst of wickets raised hopes of an unlikely turnaround, but the hosts held their nerve to cross the finish line with two wickets in hand.

Malaysia Hold On After Nepal’s Late Fightback

Chasing 127, Malaysia reached the target in 18.4 overs after losing eight wickets. Elsa Hunter set the tone for the chase with a blistering 48 from just 24 balls. Her innings included 10 boundaries and a six, putting Nepal’s bowlers under immediate pressure.

Dhanushree Muhunan contributed 21 runs, Aina Hamiz added 18, and Mahira Izzati chipped in with 14. For much of the innings, Malaysia appeared comfortably in control. By the end of the 15th over, the hosts had moved to 114 for four and seemed headed for a routine victory. Nepal, however, refused to fade away.

Riya Sharma claimed three wickets to trigger a collapse. Manisha Upadhyay and Rubina Chhetry picked up two wickets each, while Sita Ranamagar added one. The sudden wickets pushed Malaysia onto the back foot and briefly reopened the contest.

Malaysia slipped to 119 for eight before Wan Julia remained unbeaten on six and guided her side across the line.

Nepal Build Competitive Total

Earlier, Nepal elected to bat first after winning the toss and posted 126 for six in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Indu Barma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 46. Kavita Kunwar provided momentum with a rapid 33 off only 15 deliveries.

Rubi Podar scored 17, while Puja Mahato contributed 15. A strong finish helped Nepal add 34 runs in the final two overs, lifting the total to a score that kept them in the contest deep into the chase.

For Malaysia, Winifred Duraisingam took two wickets. Aisya Elisa and Mahira Izzati claimed one each.

One More Match Left

The semifinal defeat ends Nepal’s title challenge, but the tournament is not yet over for the side. Nepal will now face China in the third-place playoff.

In the other semifinal, Thailand defeated China to secure a place in the final. The championship match will now see Malaysia take on Thailand, while Nepal look to finish their campaign on a winning note.