Asian Games Men’s Qualifier: Nepal defeated China by 221 runs, became the first team to do so in T20

Batting first, Nepal scored a huge score of 313 runs losing only 2 wickets in 20 overs. During this, opener Kushal Bhurtel scored a explosive century and thrashed the Chinese bowlers. Bhurtel thrilled the audience by hitting 6 consecutive sixes in an over during his innings.

This achievement was even more special for Nepal because this is the second time in T20 international cricket that the team crossed the 300-run mark. With this, Nepal has become the first team in the world to score more than 300 runs twice in T20 International.

Earlier, during the Asian Games in September 2023, Nepal had made a record of becoming the first team to cross the 300-run mark in T20 International cricket by scoring 314/3 against Mongolia. Now the score of 313/2 has also become one of the biggest scores in T20 history.

China fell apart while chasing the target
The Chinese team, which came to chase the difficult target of 314 runs, looked under pressure from the very beginning. Nepal’s bowlers completely destroyed China’s batting by taking wickets at regular intervals. From China’s side, only Shenzhen Zheng could put up some struggle. He scored 31 runs in 15 balls, but he did not get any support from the other end.

The situation was such that 4 Chinese batsmen could not even open their account. The entire team was bundled out for just 92 runs in 19.2 overs and Nepal registered a resounding victory by 221 runs. This is also the seventh biggest win in terms of runs in T20 International cricket history. Nepal has already won by a margin of more than 200 runs by defeating Mongolia by 273 runs in September 2023.

Now there will be competition with Malaysia
Nepal will now face Malaysia in their second and final league match on June 4, included in Group A. The Chinese team will take the field against Malaysia on June 2. A total of eight teams are participating in this qualifier, which include Nepal, Malaysia, Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bahrain and Oman. The way Nepal has performed in its very first match has strengthened its claim for the title and a place in the Asian Games.