Historic Records Shattered in First Men’s T20 International at Asian Games: Nepal Dominates Mongolia

Asian Games 2023 witnessed a record-breaking Men’s T20 International match as Nepal squared off against Mongolia in a historic showdown. Nepal displayed a stunning performance that left cricket enthusiasts in awe. Here are the remarkable records established in this momentous clash.

Nepal’s Dominance

In a display of sheer dominance, Nepal achieved an extraordinary feat by setting the highest-ever total in T20 cricket. They posted a mammoth 314/3, surpassing Afghanistan’s 278/3 against Ireland in Dehradun in February 2019. This record was later matched by the Czech Republic with a score of 278/4 against Turkey in Ilfov County.

Record Victory Margin

Nepal’s victory margin of 273 runs against Mongolia is the largest in T20 cricket, surpassing the previous record set by the Czech Republic with a 257-run win against Turkey. This victory marked the third instance of a side winning by over 200 runs in T20 Internationals.

Maximum Mayhem

Nepal hammered a remarkable 26 sixes in their innings, setting a new record for the most sixes in a T20 inning by a team. This record surpassed the previous record of 23 sixes hit by Balkh Legends against Kabul Zwanan in the now-defunct Afghanistan Premier League in 2018. The previous record for a T20 International was 22 sixes, achieved by Afghanistan against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019 and later equaled by West Indies against South Africa in Centurion earlier that year.

Boundary Blitz

Nepal also excelled in hitting boundaries, scoring 212 runs in boundaries, which included 14 fours and 26 maximums. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 210 runs in boundaries, achieved by Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL and by India against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.

Kushal Malla & Dipendra Singh Airee Shine

Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee emerged as the stars of the match, etching their names in the record books with their remarkable performances.

• Dipendra Singh Airee took just 9 balls to reach his fifty, setting the record for the fastest fifty in the history of all International cricket. He came in to bat after the fall of the third wicket in the 18.1 over and smashed eight of the ten balls he faced over the ropes. The previous quickest fifties were by Yuvraj Singh against England in Durban in 2007, Chris Gayle for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne in 2016, and Hazratullah Zazai for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends in Sharjah in the APL 2018.
• Kushal Malla achieved a historic feat by scoring his maiden T20 International century off just 34 deliveries, making it the fastest century in the format. This accomplishment surpassed the previous record held by David Miller, Rohit Sharma, and Sudesh Wickramsekara, who took 35 balls to reach their centuries. Malla’s century also became the highest individual score for Nepal in T20Is, surpassing Airee’s unbeaten 110 against Malaysia in Kirtipur the previous year.

Partnership Records Broken

The partnership between Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee reached an astounding 193 runs for the third wicket. This is the highest-ever partnership for the third wicket or lower in T20Is, surpassing the 184-run partnership between Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips against West Indies in Mount Maunganui in 2020. It also marked the highest partnership for any wicket for Nepal in T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 171 runs by Airee and Kushal Bhurtel against Philippines in Al Amerat in 2022.

Airee’s Blazing Strike Rate

Dipendra Singh Airee’s innings of 52 runs off just ten balls recorded an astonishing strike rate of 520, setting the highest-ever strike rate in a T20 for an innings of ten or more balls. This accomplishment surpassed Malcolm Waller’s 10-ball unbeaten 43 for Mid West Rhinos against Matabeleland Tuskers in Bulawayo in 2016. The previous highest strike rate for a T20 International was Norman Vanua’s 12-ball 47 for PNG against Vanuatu in Apia in July 2019.

Mongolia’s Struggles

In contrast, Mongolia struggled to make an impact in their innings, managing only 41 runs all out. Davaasuren Jamyansuren was the highest scorer in the innings, reaching double figures. However, extras constituted a significant portion of Mongolia’s total, with 23 extras in their innings, constituting 56% of their total. This marked the first instance of extras contributing more than 50% of an all-out total. The previous highest was 34.6% in China’s total of 26 (nine extras) against Thailand in Kuala Lumpur earlier that year.

Nepal’s incredible performance and the numerous records shattered in this match will be remembered as a historic moment in the annals of T20 cricket.

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