China Women secured third place in the Asian Games Women’s T20I Qualifier 2026 with a 5-wicket win over Nepal Women in a rain-shortened match in Kuala Lumpur. The contest, reduced to seven overs per side, saw both teams adopt an aggressive approach, resulting in a fast-paced encounter decided via the DLS method.
Batting first, Nepal Women struggled early against disciplined bowling from China. The opening pair of Samjhana Khadka (5) and Puja Mahato (1) managed just seven runs before Ma Ruike struck to remove Mahato. Nepal’s innings quickly slipped further as Samjhana was dismissed soon after, followed by Rubi Poddar for a first-ball duck, leaving the side at 7/3 inside three overs.
Captain Indu Barma attempted to steady the innings alongside Sony Pakhrin, who retired after scoring 5. Their partnership added 13 runs and took Nepal to 20/4. Indu then tried to accelerate, hitting a boundary during her 11 off 8 balls, but Zhao Yihan ended her innings at a crucial moment.
Late Partnership Lifts Nepal to 50
Nepal found momentum late through Kabita Kunwar and Rubina Chhetry. Kabita produced a quickfire 22 not out from 10 balls, including a four and a six, while Rubina remained unbeaten on 3. Their unbroken 24-run stand helped Nepal reach 50/5 in 7 overs, with extras contributing three runs.
China’s bowling effort was well shared. Ma Ruike led the attack with figures of 2/5 from 2 overs, removing both openers. Mingyue Zhu returned 1/12, while Zhao Yihan picked up the wicket of Indu Barma. Wang Huiying and Jiaping Li also contributed with disciplined spells.
China in Tight Chase
Chasing a revised target of 43, China began strongly as Wang Huiying (2) and captain Mingyue Zhu (18) added 24 runs for the opening wicket. Zhu set the tone with three boundaries in her 13-ball innings.
Nepal responded through Riya Sharma, who dismissed Wang Huiying and Zhu in successive overs. A run-out of Gong Yuting for a duck added further pressure, reducing China to 24/3. Another run-out saw Jiaping Li depart for 1, leaving the chase finely balanced at 27/4.
Cai Yuzhi then anchored the innings with an unbeaten 11 from 13 balls, supported by Wei Haiting, who scored 5 in a 13-run partnership. After Wei’s dismissal at 40/5, China needed only a few runs, and Cai, along with Chen Xinyu, guided the team to 45/5 in 7 overs to seal victory on the final ball.
Riya Sharma Impresses Despite Defeat
Nepal’s bowlers put up a strong fight defending a modest total. Riya Sharma delivered an outstanding spell of 2/3 from 2 overs, claiming key wickets and keeping the contest alive. Sarita Magar took 1/8, while Kabita Kunwar bowled economically, conceding eight runs in her two overs.
For her contribution at the top of the order, Mingyue Zhu was named Player of the Match, with her 18-run knock playing a key role in guiding China Women to a narrow victory and a third-place finish.
