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Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman have secured their places in the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan in September and October.
The four teams advanced after finishing at the top of their respective groups in the qualification tournament held in Singapore. Nepal and Malaysia emerged from Group A, while Hong Kong and Oman topped Group B.
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Nepal enjoyed a dominant campaign. They opened with a massive 221-run win over China after posting 313/2, powered by opener Kushal Bhurtel’s explosive 129 off 43 balls. The total also made Nepal the first team in men’s T20 cricket history to record multiple 300-plus scores.
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They followed it up with another commanding performance against Malaysia, scoring 275/7 and winning by 167 runs. Bhurtel struck another century in that match. With Qatar withdrawing from the tournament before it began, Nepal’s two victories were enough to seal top spot in the group.
In Group B, both Hong Kong and Oman remained unbeaten after defeating Bahrain and Singapore. Their final league match against each other only determined the semi-final pairings, as both teams had already qualified.
The four qualifiers will join Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who earned direct entry as Asia’s Full Member nations, along with hosts Japan. The men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games will begin on September 24, with the final scheduled for October 3.
Earlier, Thailand, Malaysia and China qualified for the women’s cricket competition, which will be held from September 17 to 22 as part of the 20th Asian Games.
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