Nepal to face China tomorrow for final Asian Games spot

Nepal's women's cricket team failed to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games after a semifinal loss to hosts Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. The defeat means Nepal will not compete in the multi-sport event, with Malaysia and Thailand securing the available berths.

Nepal entered the match as favorites, having recently swept a friendly series against Malaysia. However, the home team emerged victorious in the crucial semifinal. Nepal captain Indu Barma won the toss and chose to bat, but the team struggled to build significant partnerships. Despite a late surge from Barma (46 not out) and Kabita Kunwar (33 off 15 balls), Nepal posted 126/6, their joint highest score against Malaysia.

Malaysia successfully chased the target with two wickets and eight balls to spare. Elsa Hunter, who had also been instrumental in Malaysia's victory over Nepal in the ACC Women's Premier Cup final earlier in the year, once again proved to be Nepal's nemesis. Though caught behind, Hunter had already inflicted significant damage, scoring 48 off 24 balls. She holds the record for the most T20I runs against Nepal among all her opponents.

Other Malaysian batters, including Dhanusri Muhunan, Ainna Hamizah Hashim, and Mahirah Izzati Ismail, contributed to the chase. Wan Julia hit the winning boundary, securing Malaysia's spot in the Asian Games. A win would have not only qualified Nepal but also set them up for a final against Thailand for the qualifier trophy.

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Hunter has scored 184 runs in seven matches against Nepal, followed by 127 runs in five games against Singapore and 110 runs in eight games against the UAE.