Hangzhou: In a display of cricketing skill, the men’s team from Nepal made history during a group match against Mongolia at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Following India’s women’s team winning the gold medal, Nepal’s performance in their first match created a buzz in the cricketing world.
Nepal achieved a score of 314/3 in their allotted 20 overs, becoming the first team to surpass 300 runs in T20I cricket. This remarkable achievement marked a milestone for the men’s event as matches at the Asian Games were granted T20I status by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Dipendra Singh Airee emerged as a standout player surpassing Yuvraj Singh’s standing record for the T20I half-century. Airee accomplished this feat by scoring fifty runs off nine balls, overshadowing Yuvraj’s twelve-ball century achieved during the 2007 World Cup against England. Airee concluded his innings with a score of 52 runs from only ten deliveries, including an impressive 48 runs from sixes.
The milestones continued to pile up as Kushal Malla showcased skills and outpaced both India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and South Africa’s star batter David Miller to achieve the T20I century.
Malla’s incredible century was achieved in 34 deliveries, surpassing both Rohit and Miller, who took 35 balls to reach their centuries. Malla’s unbeaten innings of 137 runs from 50 deliveries showcased an array of 8 boundaries and a remarkable 12 sixes.