Little did many expect 27th September 2023 to be one of the landmark days in T20I cricket's history. After all, it was just Mongolia facing Nepal at the Asian Games. Yes, Nepal were an emerging side and this was always going to be a one-sided encounter. Yet, what transpired that day was unprecedented and put Nepal's name firmly in the annals of T20I cricket's fabled history.
The only thing Mongolia won that day was the toss and after their skipper Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan opted to field, it was carnage from start to finish. Baptism by fire would be an understatement as Nepal's batters went ballistic at Mongolia's inexperienced bowling attack. The initial 30 minutes were decent for Mongolia as Nepal's openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh couldn't get off a blitzkrieg start. Both fell while trying to force the pace but once they departed, the whole complexion of the innings changed. Kushal Malla, skipper Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee destroyed the bowlers with phenomenal ball-striking to take Nepal to a monstrous total.
Malla relished the opportunity of batting at no.3 as he smashed his maiden hundred in the format and ended with 137* off just 50 balls. The left-hander hit eight fours and as many as 12 sixes in his epic knock. Paudel, who combined for a 193-run stand with Malla, wasn't as muscular in his strokeplay but was equally damaging. The right-hander produced a breath-taking knock of 61 from just 27 balls, with two fours and six maximums to his name. Their partnership set the base for Airee who smoked a fifty off just nine balls, including an over where he struck five sixes in a row. His feat was a world record and so was Nepal's total, which became T20I's first-ever 300-plus total.
In reply, Mongolia were shot out for a paltry total of 41, thereby giving Nepal a mammoth win by 273 runs. Here are the list of records that were created in this game.
Highest team total
Nepal became the first team to breach the 300-mark in T20Is, during their effort of 314/3. This feat has been replicated a few times thereafter but they will have the claim of being the first to this milestone.
Fastest century
Malla's 34-ball hundred eclipsed David Miller's record for the fastest century in T20Is. The South African had taken 35 balls for the milestone and Nepal's left-hander did it a ball earlier.
Fastest fifty
Airee's fifty off just nine balls broke Yuvraj Singh's 16-year-old record for the fastest fifty in T20Is. The Indian veteran managed it off 12 balls during the T20 World Cup 2007, the same match where he struck a record six maximums in an over. Getting a fifty of 12 balls seemed unbreakable until Airee did the unthinkable.
Extras save Mongolia
For the first time in an 'all out' innings, more than 50 percent of a team's total came from extras. Of Mongolia's total of 41, 23 came through extras, giving them an unwanted record in the batting department.
Most sixes by a team in a T20I innings
Nepal smoked 26 sixes in their total of 314, setting a world record for the most sixes by a team in a T20I innings. The previous T20I record of 23 happened in two games - Afghanistan vs Ireland at Dehradun 2019 and South Africa vs West Indies at Centurion 2023.
