In an all important match, Afghanistan registered a 9-wicket victory ending Nepal’s chances to finish top of the group.
The rainfall threatened a no-play but a 7-over-a-side match was played and Nepal proved no match to Afghanistan despite posting 73/3.
The result left Nepal unchanged in the fourth position with equal six points while Afghanistan climbed to the top of the table with 10 points.
It was the fifth encounter between the two sides with the Afghans winning all of them. Nepal had lost by seven wickets on home ground when the two teams last met during the ACC T20 final in Kathmandu in April. Earlier, Afghanistan had defeated Nepal by 34 runs at the same venue during the qualifiers of the tournament last year.
On Friday, Nepal was put into bat first and reached 73/3 in seven overs. Afghanistan made 78 runs for the loss of one wicket with four balls to spare.
Afghan opener Mohammad Shahazad led the onslaught with an unbeaten 43 that featured three sixes and three fours. Nawroz Mangal raced to 22 off 11 before being caught by Sagar Pun off skipper Paras Khadka in the second ball of the fourth over. Afghan skipper Mohammad Nabi remained unbeaten on 8 off 5 with a boundary.
Jeetendra Mukhiya was the most expensive bowler of Nepal giving away 28 runs — 17 in the first over and 11 in the sixth. Amrit Bhattarai conceded 13 runs and Avinash Karna gave 11 runs bowling one over each. Skipper Khadka took one wicket giving nine runs in his one over while Basanta Regmi conceded 15 runs in his 1.2 overs.
Earlier, Gyanendra Malla topscored with an unbeaten 23 off 9, while opener Subash Khakurel (16 off 13), Sagar Pun (22 off 14), skipper Khadka (4 off 6) and Binod Bhandari (unbeaten 6 off 3) also contributed to Nepal’s total.
Malla hit two sixes and a boundary while Sagar Pun struck two sixes. Opener Khakurel hit a four and a six while Bhandari hit a four.
Mirwasis Ashraf of Afghanistan claimed two wickets conceding 13 runs in his two overs, while Shapoor Zadran took 1-10