Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman have secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games men’s cricket competition, which will take place in Japan in September-October.
The four teams will join Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Japan in the ten-team event, scheduled to begin on September 24, with the final set for October 3.
Nepal and Malaysia Progress From Group A
Nepal and Malaysia qualified from Group A after finishing at the top of the group during the qualifying tournament in Singapore.
Nepal began their campaign with a dominant 221-run win over China. They posted 313/2, with opener Kushal Bhurtel smashing 129 from 43 balls. With that total, Nepal became the first team to record multiple 300-plus scores in men’s T20 cricket.
Nepal then defeated Malaysia by 167 runs, with Bhurtel scoring another century as the team reached 275/7. Qatar’s withdrawal before the tournament meant Nepal finished top of the group with two wins.
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Malaysia had earlier beaten China in their opening match, which was enough to secure their qualification.
Hong Kong and Oman Qualify From Group B
In Group B, Hong Kong and Oman both remained unbeaten after defeating Bahrain and Singapore. Their final league match will decide the semi-final line-up, but it will not affect qualification.
The winner of Hong Kong vs Oman will face Malaysia in the semi-final, while the losing team will play Nepal.
Ten-Team Event Set for September
The four qualifiers will join the five Asian Full Member nations — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — along with hosts Japan.
The men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games will start on September 24 and conclude with the final on October 3.
Thailand, Malaysia and China also qualified for the eight-team women’s cricket event, which will be held from September 17 to 22.
