Nepal Smashing Records in Asian Games Men’s T20

The cricketing world witnessed an electrifying spectacle as Nepal’s batters shattered records in the opening match of the Men’s Asian Games against Mongolia in Hangzhou, China. In a resounding display of power-hitting and remarkable performance, Nepal secured a record-breaking 273-run victory. Let’s dive into the astounding achievements that marked this historic moment in cricket.

Never before in the history of men’s T20 cricket had a team breached the 300-run mark. Nepal, however, rewrote the record books with their colossal total of 314 for 3 against Mongolia. This extraordinary feat surpassed the previous highest T20 total of 278, held jointly by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019 and the Czech Republic against Turkey in the same year.

Kushal Malla, a name etched in the annals of cricket history, played a breathtaking innings that saw him score a century in just 34 balls. This astonishing feat broke the previous record of 35 balls held jointly by David Miller, Rohit Sharma, and Czech Republic’s Sudesh Wickramasekara. Malla’s remarkable innings showcased the power of Nepali cricket and left cricket enthusiasts awestruck.

Dipendra Singh Airee took the cricketing world by storm with his explosive innings, taking only nine balls to reach a fifty. His innings included eight sixes, and remarkably, not a single four. Airee’s performance set a new standard in T20 cricket, surpassing the previous record of 12 balls held jointly by cricket legends Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, and Hazratullah Zazai. 

Nepal’s dominance in the match extended to their record margin of victory. Their 273-run win against Mongolia became the highest margin of victory in terms of runs in all T20 matches. The previous record was held by Czech Republic with a 257-run win against Turkey in 2019. Nepal’s emphatic win highlighted their supremacy in this encounter.

Dipendra Singh Airee’s unbeaten knock of 52 off just 10 balls was nothing short of phenomenal. With a strike rate exceeding 520, Airee entered uncharted territory, becoming the first batter in T20s to achieve a 500-plus strike rate in an innings of 10 or more balls. This incredible milestone surpassed the previous best of 430, held by Malcolm Waller during a ten-ball innings in Zimbabwe’s domestic T20 competition in 2016.

Nepal’s aggressive approach resulted in an astounding 26 sixes during the match, setting a new record for the most sixes hit by a team in a T20 international. This achievement eclipsed the previous record of 22 sixes, shared by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019 and West Indies against South Africa earlier in the year. Moreover, this total also stands as the most sixes hit in any T20 match, surpassing the 23 sixes hit by Balkh Legend against Kabul Zwanan in the Afghanistan Premier League in 2018.

Kushal Malla, the centurion of the match, achieved this remarkable feat at the age of 19 years and 206 days. His exceptional innings made him the second-youngest batter to score a century in men’s T20Is. The youngest record-holder remains Gustav Mckeon of France, who accomplished the feat before turning 19 in July 2022. Malla’s youthful brilliance bodes well for the future of Nepali cricket.