Nepal chased down Japan’s 132-run target with five wickets in hand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier at Al Amerat, Oman, on Friday.

Aasif Sheikh was the star with 38 off 21 balls, hitting one four and four sixes. He shared a 27-run partnership with Kushal Bhurtel (21) for the first wicket, giving Nepal a solid start.

Captain Rohit Paudel scored 18 before being dismissed LBW by Sabaorish Ravichandran, while Sundeep Jora (5) and Kushal Malla (4) fell cheaply.

Dipendra Singh Airee remained unbeaten at 14, and Gulshan Jha contributed 28 off 20 balls, striking two sixes to guide Nepal past the target in 18 overs.

Japan’s bowlers had early success, with Shoma Slater taking two wickets for 22 runs, while Sabaorish Ravichandran, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, and Declan Suzuki picked one wicket each. Despite their efforts, Japan could not defend the modest total.

Earlier put to bat first, Japan posted a 132-run target against Nepal as Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming led from the front with a fluent 60 off 46 balls, hitting five fours and three sixers.

He shared a crucial 71-run partnership with Eesam Rahman, who scored 31 off 25 balls, to steady Japan after an early wicket loss.

The rest of the batting line-up, however, struggled to maintain momentum against Nepal’s disciplined bowling attack.

Japan’s innings lost momentum after reaching 97 for 2 in the 13th over. From there, Nepal triggered a middle-order collapse, taking six wickets for just 34 runs.

Benjamin Ito-Davis added a quick 17 off 12 balls before falling late in the innings, while the lower order failed to make any significant contributions.

Gulshan Jha was the pick of the Nepali bowlers, finishing with figures of 2 for 20 in his four overs. He dismissed Kadowaki-Fleming and Ibrahim Takahashi, providing key breakthroughs at crucial stages.

Spinner Sandeep Lamichhane also made an impact, taking 2 for 25, including the wickets of Sabaorish Ravichandran and Declan Suzuki.

Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav claimed a wicket each, while Dipendra Singh Airee contributed with a tight spell and was also involved in a sharp run-out. Nepal’s bowlers collectively kept Japan’s scoring rate in check despite conceding 13 extras, including seven wides.

The Rhinos made a flying start to their campaign, defeating Kuwait by 58 runs in their Group B match on Wednesday.