KATHMANDU: The Dhaka South Asian Games Organising Committee (DSAGOC) has rescheduled the cricket tournament after India and Afghanistan pulled out of the event, Nepal Olympic Committee informed today.

With only five teams left after the withdrawals, the organisers were forced to reschedule the event into the round-robin league format. Earlier, seven teams were divided into two pools with hosts Bangladesh taking on Maldives on February 2 at the Sahid Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajshahi. Nepal were drawn in Pool ‘B’ against India, Pakistan and Afghanistan while Pool ‘A’ comprised Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

But the withdrawal of the two teams meant remaining five will play each other in the round robin league. Top two teams of the league will play for the gold medal at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur while third and fourth-placed teams will compete for the bronze medal. The change in the format also means the tournament kicks off with a match between the Test-playing nation Bangladesh and Nepal in Rajshahi on January 31.

Nepal will play their second match against yet another Test-playing nation Sri Lanka on January 1 in Rajshahi before taking on Pakistan two days later in Mirpur. The men from the Himalaya will end their league campaign with a match against Maldives on January 6.