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Dipendra Singh Airee (Source: Twitter)
Nepal cricket team scripted history in China by providing a rollicking start to the 2023 Men's Asian Games cricket competition. A string of records was broken in the first match of the tournament (Group A) between Nepal and Mongolia in Hangzhou on Wednesday, September 27. Nepal smashed the highest-ever total in T20I cricket history, the fastest century and the fastest fifty by a player in the format's history.
After being asked to bat first, Nepal posted a humongous total of 314/3 in 20 overs - surpassing Afghanistan's 278/3 against Ireland in 2019 to register the highest-ever T20I score. Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee reached his half-century in just nine balls, breaking the 16-year-old record set by former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh.
The legendary all-rounder scored a 12-ball fifty against England in the 2007 World Cup, where he smashed six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. Airee finished with 52* in just 10 balls, an innings which was bolstered with eight sixes at a strike rate of 520 - the best ever in a T20I innings.
Kushal Malla went past T20I giants Rohit Sharma and David Miller
Their No. 3 batter Kushal Malla also registered a massive record in the shortest format of the game. The left-handed batter scored the fastest-ever T20I century in just 34 balls, surpassing power-hitters like India's Rohit Sharma and South Africa's David Miller. Both Rohit and Miller scored centuries in 35-balls. Malla smoked eight fours and 12 sixes in his 137-run knock in just 50 balls.
However, it was a relatively slow start for Nepal as their openers returned to the pavilion inside eight overs after striking at less than 95. Amid Malla and Airee's carnage, their captain Rohit Paudel also joined the party to push Nepal's score past 300. Paudel scored 61 off 27 balls on the back of two fours and six sixes. He and Malla put on 193 runs for the third wicket in just 65 balls.
Chasing a mammoth score, the already shattered Mongolia line-up was bowled for just 41 runs, handing Nepal another record. Nepal won by 273 runs - the largest margin win by runs in T20I cricket, surpassing Czech Republic's 257 against Turkey in 2019.
Here's how fans reacted to Dipendra Singh Airee's record-breaking innings:
Ab koi inka record nahi tod sakta😀😀😀
— Vishal Kumar (@vishalkumar9000) September 27, 2023
Unbelievable stuff, fifty in just 9 balls
— Naresh Tanwar 🇮🇳 (@nareshtanwar_) September 27, 2023
Historic this is, Opponent may be a weaker team but this achievement is no lesser as it still requires the skill to do that.
— Piyush Cricket (@kayptalks) September 27, 2023
9 balls fifty,
— Bharata (@meta_flix) September 27, 2023
If you hit 6 on 9 balls = 54.
For a fifty in cricket, atleast 9 balls are needed.
This 9 balls record is unbreakable now.
Wow!
This is pathetic from ICC and ACC to grant T20i status to a random match like these. Magnitude of Yuvraj Singh’s effort was something else against a top class bowling attack. Even my gully team might break records if playing against these teams.
— Bishwajeet Mahato (@mahato99) September 27, 2023
Cricket dekhte 25 saal ho gaye mangolia me bhi cricket khelte h aaj record tutne par para chala h😃😃
— Jitesh (@Jiteshjustcool) September 27, 2023
Abe kuch bhi, isko kaun consider karta hai record books mein.
— FIN TRACKER 📈 (@SlayerSystem) September 27, 2023
Bhai ye record book me likhe jayenge ICC ne kaha hai pehle hi😂😂 aap rona band karein
— Quazi Farooque Azam (@itsqfa) September 27, 2023
— Arnav Shukla. (@Akshay_Brigade) September 27, 2023
Nepal 🇳🇵 seems a really promising team. One of key the 🔑 reasons which I observed during Asia Cup was their team is too young. The energy level is different altogether. pic.twitter.com/isF3e3vpcm
— Zaki Akhtar (@zakiakhtar_s) September 27, 2023
Kya kya records bana rha 🇳🇵
— Abhinav singh (@Abhinav_tmk) September 27, 2023