In a historic and record-breaking T20 international match at the Asian Games, Nepal etched their name in cricket history by becoming the first men’s team to score more than 300 runs in this format. Facing Mongolia in Hangzhou, Nepal delivered an awe-inspiring performance, piling up a staggering 314-3 in their allotted 20 overs. This extraordinary total eclipsed the previous record of 278-3 held by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019.
The star of the show was Kushal Malla, batting at number three, who blazed his way to the fastest T20
international century, reaching the milestone in just 34 balls. Malla’s fireworks continued as he finished unbeaten on 137 off only 50 balls, laced with 12 sixes and eight fours. Captain Rohit Paudel also joined the onslaught, contributing 61 off 27 balls with six towering sixes.
The grand finale to Nepal’s innings was provided by Dipendra Singh Airee, who hammered an incredible 52 not out off just 10 balls, featuring a world-record nine-ball fifty, surpassing Yuvraj Singh’s effort for India in 2007. Nepal’s 26 sixes in the innings also set a new record.
Mongolia, still reeling from their women’s team’s earlier struggles, was dismissed for a paltry 41 runs.
Nepal’s winning margin of 273 runs marked the largest victory by runs in a T20 international, surpassing the Czech Republic’s 257-run win over Turkey in 2019. Nepal’s remarkable feat will be remembered as a historic moment in the annals of T20 cricket.