New Delhi: The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 has begun, with Afghanistan making a start to its campaign with a convincing victory. In the tournament’s opening match, Afghanistan put in an impressive performance to defeat hosts Japan by 48 runs. The match also marked a historic moment for Afghan cricket as former captain Mohammad Nabi’s son, Hassan Eisakhil, made his international debut. However, his first match was not particularly memorable, as he was dismissed for just 3 runs off 10 balls.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Afghanistan began its innings cautiously. Afghan batter Mohammad Akram played a responsible knock of 34 runs off 29 balls, the highest individual score for the team, including two fours and two sixes. Captain Darwish Rasooli also contributed 29 runs to steady the innings. However, slow batting in the middle order restricted Afghanistan to 129 for 6 in 20 overs, setting Japan a target of 130 runs.

Chasing the target, Japan looked helpless against the Afghan bowlers from the outset. With wickets falling at regular intervals and the pressure of an increasing required run rate, Japan struggled to build momentum. Although the middle order offered some resistance for a while, the entire team was bowled out for just 81 runs in 19.3 overs. With this impressive victory, Afghanistan strengthened its position in the tournament and also boosted its hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

Before the Asian Games, Mohammad Nabi himself represented Afghanistan in the T20I series against India. In that match, he bowled one over and conceded 29 runs. Now, his son Hassan Eisakhil has also become part of the Afghan team, raising the possibility that fans could see the father-son duo playing together in international cricket in the future.