Sports|Cricket

Nepal smash T20 cricket records in Asian Games win over Mongolia

Nepal become the first team to score 300 runs in T20 internationals as Kushal Malla scores fastest 100 in the format.

kushal malla
Malla became the second youngest batter to score a T20 century at the age of 19 years and 206 days [File: Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images]
Published On 27 Sep 2023

Nepal became the first men’s team in the history of cricket to score more than 300 runs in a T20 international as they rewrote the record books against Mongolia at the Asian Games.

Nepal bludgeoned 314 for three in their 20 overs in Hangzhou on Wednesday, surpassing the previous highest of 278 for three by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019.

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Kushal Malla, batting at number three, led the way, cracking the fastest T20 international century – off just 34 balls.

He was followed by Dipendra Singh Airee, who finished the innings in ridiculous fashion against the hapless Mongolian bowlers, hitting eight sixes in an unbeaten 52 off just 10 balls.

He reached his 50 off nine balls, another world record, beating India’s Yuvraj Singh’s 2007 effort against England which took 12 balls.

Mongolia, whose women’s team were bowled out for just 15 last week in the Asian Games, were dismissed for only 41.

Magnificent Malla

When Malla came in to bat, Nepal were 42 for one in 4.5 overs. His 50-ball 137, along with Airee and Paudel’s fifties, saw them score 272 runs in 15 overs by the end of Nepal’s innings.

He smashed 12 sixes and eight fours at a strike rate of 274 and also became the second youngest batter to score a century in men’s T20Is at the age of 19 years and 206 days.

The previous record of the quickest T20 century was held by South Africa’s David Miller, who scored it in 35 balls against Bangladesh in 2017.

Nepal’s record-breaking spree

The match saw Nepal go on a record-breaking run against a hapless Mongolian side. Here’s a list of all the records that tumbled:

  • Highest score in men’s T20 internationals: 314-3
  • Fastest T20 international century: 34 balls
  • Fastest T20 international half-century: Nine balls
  • Most sixes in an innings: 26
  • Biggest winning margin by runs: 273
  • Highest strike rate in an innings of 10 balls or more: 520
Source: News Agencies