NISSHIN, Japan – Host nation Japan saw its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men’s cricket campaign end Saturday with rain washing out its last Group A match against Nepal, but the team is taking positives from the tournament.
Following its opening loss to Afghanistan, world No. 41 Japan was aiming to keep its tournament alive by upsetting 14th-ranked Nepal at Korogi Athletic Park.
The South Asian side set a steep target of 150 in a rain-shortened 15 overs before the downpour denied Japan’s batsmen a run chase.
“It’s disappointing not to get that opportunity,” Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming said. “It would have been good to get out there but unfortunately we can’t control the weather.”
Japan head coach Dhugal Bedingfield expressed hope that the matches against strong opponents under the spotlight of a home Asian Games would spark interest in a sport that attracts huge interest abroad but remains relatively unknown in Japan.
His team drew headlines in the leadup to the Asian Games with a thrilling two-run loss to world No. 1 India in a rain-shortened exhibition match at the Japan Cricket Association’s home ground in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture.
“One of the things we spoke about as a Japan team before this tournament was that it’s not about winning and losing, but can we inspire some young Japanese kids to start playing cricket?” Bedingfield said. “We want to present cricket as a pretty cool sport for them to start playing.”
With the match called off, the Japan players spent time greeting spectators in the stands, including a sizeable contingent of Nepal fans, who contributed to a lively atmosphere at the ground.
Kadowaki-Fleming said cricket in Japan drew strong support from the country’s Nepali community, numbering around 300,000 as of the end of 2025, according to the Japanese government.
“While they might have had Nepalese shirts on, they’re supporters of the Japan cricket community, so it’s really important for us to engage with them, and obviously to thank our Japanese supporters as well,” Kadowaki-Fleming said.
“For us to be able to play in front of crowds who make noise like that is a cool thing, and as we progress, hopefully we can continue to play in front of crowds like that.”
Nepal, a winner against Afghanistan on Friday, topped the group and progressed to the quarterfinal stage, where high-ranked nations India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh join the tournament.