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3rd Quarter-Final | Men’s Cricket, Asian Games 2026 | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin | 29 September 2026
Nepal’s trio of Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi and Kushal Bhurtel will attack a Sri Lankan top six stitched together from returning veterans and a debutant. Rajbanshi and Bhurtel shared seven wickets against Afghanistan, while Lamichhane went wicketless but conceded just 18. Sri Lanka, led by Sahan Arachchige, have recalled Niroshan Dickwella after five years away and handed uncapped Sohan de Livera a chance. Tuesday’s quarter-final turns on whether that batting group can read wrist and finger spin early.
Nepal beat Afghanistan by five wickets on 25 September, and the slow bowlers did the heavy lifting. Kushal Bhurtel took 4/21 from four overs to earn Player of the Match, while Lalit Rajbanshi returned 3/13. Afghanistan never recovered and finished on 102/7.
Sandeep Lamichhane’s 4-0-18-0 looks quiet beside those numbers, yet an economy of 4.50 is its own kind of damage. He strangled one end while the other two collected wickets. Sundeep Jora (34) and Paudel (33 not out) then steered Nepal home at 103/5. Rain denied a follow-up against Japan on 27 September. Nepal had reached 149/4 in a 15-over contest, with Jora hitting 57 not out and Lokesh Bam 52, before the washout left them on top of Group A.
The wider numbers explain why Sri Lanka should worry. Lamichhane’s recent nine-match run has brought 12 wickets at an economy of 6.47, and his career average of 12.52 with a best of 5/9 is absurd in any format. Bhurtel’s leg-breaks carry a career best of 4/12, and he has taken wickets through 2026 against Scotland, West Indies, Italy, England, Canada and UAE.
| Bowler | Team | Economy Rate | Wickets |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | Nepal | 6.10 | 142 |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | Nepal | 6.37 | 39 |
| Kushal Bhurtel | Nepal | 6.80 | 31 |
| Nuwan Thushara | Sri Lanka | 8.29 | 36 |
| Vijayakanth Viyaskanth | Sri Lanka | 7.00 | 1 |
| Binura Fernando | Sri Lanka | 8.41 | 24 |
| Dushan Hemantha | Sri Lanka | 9.10 | 10 |
Every Nepali slow bowler in that list concedes fewer than seven an over. Sri Lanka’s attack sits between 7.00 and 9.10, which means the underdogs own the cheaper overs on paper.
Sri Lanka’s likely top six is short on recent international batting. Dickwella last played a T20I in June 2021 against England, a five-year gap, and Ashen Bandara’s last appearance came in October 2023 against Afghanistan, when he made 13. Sohan de Livera is uncapped and earning a maiden call-up.
Nuwanidu Fernando and Lasith Croospulle bring caps but little recent international form to judge. That leaves a line-up with no settled pattern against slow bowling, and Nepal will know it. Arachchige is the exception. He took nine wickets in 10 LPL 2026 matches at an economy of 6.30, including a Player of the Match 2/8 in the Eliminator, and cracked a 15-ball 34 not out with the bat. Sri Lanka will lean heavily on that confidence.
Thushara and Viyaskanth Lead the Reply
Nuwan Thushara is the senior seamer, with 36 wickets in 28 T20Is at 20.94 and a best of 5/20. His last international came against India on 26 September 2025, a full year ago. Binura Fernando adds 24 wickets from 25 games at 29.83.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth is the intriguing piece. His T20I record is thin at one wicket in two matches, but he topped the charts with 17 wickets in Sri Lanka’s 2026 domestic T20 tournament. Dushan Hemantha has been expensive lately, going at 9.60 an over across his last three T20Is for two wickets.
These sides have met once in a men’s T20I, at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Lauderhill on 12 June. Not a ball was bowled, and both teams took a point. Nepal have never beaten Sri Lanka in a completed T20I, but they have never lost one either.
The quarter-final starts at 5:30 AM IST on 29 September, roughly 9:00 AM in Nisshin. Team news had not emerged at the time of writing, but Nepal arrive having topped Group A without losing a completed game. A batting group still finding its feet against three quality slow bowlers is the matchup this game turns on. If the Nepal vs Sri Lanka Asian Games 2026 spinners battle follows the Afghanistan script, Nepal will be into the semi-finals.
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When does Nepal play Sri Lanka in the Asian Games quarter-final?
The quarter-final is on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at 5:30 AM IST. It is the third quarter-final of the men’s cricket event and will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
Who is Sri Lanka’s captain at the Asian Games?
Sahan Arachchige captains Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Japan. The all-rounder arrives in form after taking nine wickets in 10 LPL 2026 matches at an economy of 6.30.
Is Sandeep Lamichhane playing at the Asian Games?
Yes, Sandeep Lamichhane is in Nepal’s 15-man squad. He bowled four overs for 18 runs without taking a wicket in the five-wicket group win over Afghanistan on 25 September 2026.
Has Nepal ever beaten Sri Lanka in T20I cricket?
No, Nepal have never beaten Sri Lanka in a completed men’s T20I. Their only meeting, at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Lauderhill on 12 June, was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Where can I watch Nepal against Sri Lanka live in India?
Sony Sports Network will show the match on TV in India, with live streaming on Sony LIV. No confirmed broadcaster has been named for home audiences in Nepal or Sri Lanka.
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