19th Asian Games: Nepal beat Mongolia by 273 runs

KATHMANDU: Nepal hammered Mongolia by 273 runs in their first match in the men’s cricket tournament under the 19th Asian Games on Wednesday.

This is so far the biggest win in the men’s cricket history of Nepal.

Mongolia won the toss and invited Nepal to bat first.

In the match played at the Pingfeng Cricket Ground in Zhejiang University of Technology, China, Nepal gathered 314 runs at the loss of three wickets in allotted 20 overs.

Chasing the mammoth target, Mongolia scored 41 runs in 13.1 overs losing all the wickets.

Nepal’s bowlers, Karan KC, Abhinas Bohora and Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets each and Sompal Kami, Kushal Bhurtel and Deependra Singh Airi claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, Kushal Bhurtel and Deependra Singh Airi of Nepal made record runs.  Kushal Malla set a world record by smashing a maiden century off 34 balls.

He broke the fastest-century records by David Miller (South Africa), Sudesh Bikramashekhar (Czech Republic) and Rohit Sharma (India) All three batsmen had a record of smashing centuries off 24 balls.

Likewise, Deependra Singh Airi made another world record by smashing half a century in nine balls. Earlier, there was a world record in the name of Indian batsman Yubraj Singh who struck half a century off 12 balls.

Kushal Malla scored unbeaten 137 runs off 50 balls and Airi 52 runs off 10 balls to steer Nepal to the record win.

Likewise, Captain Rohit Kumar Poudel made 61 runs off 27 balls, Kushal Bhurtel 19 off 23 balls and Sheikh 16 runs off 17 balls.

Nepal will play their next match against the Maldives.