In the inaugural match of the men’s cricket tournament at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee delivered a remarkable performance. On Wednesday, he achieved a stunning fifty runs from just nine balls, shattering the previous record held by Yuvraj Singh, who had taken twelve balls to reach fifty during a T20 World Cup 2007 match against England.
Dipendra Singh’s cameo appearance served as the perfect finale for Nepal as they piled up an enormous total of 314-3. He commenced his innings with five consecutive sixes, quickly accumulating 30 runs from just five deliveries.
A brief pause came when he managed a double, but he swiftly recovered, smashing three more consecutive sixes to complete his fifty and establish a new record. Initially, under the leadership of Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s team progressed steadily, reaching 66-2 in the eighth over. However, a dramatic shift in momentum was witnessed.
Kushal Malla set a record by achieving the fastest T20I century in history, reaching the three-figure mark in a mere 34 deliveries. He remained unbeaten with an astounding score of 137 runs from 50 deliveries, including eight boundaries and 12 sixes.
๐จ| ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ญ#DipendraAiree ๐ Mongolia –
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 27, 2023
5๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ – 9 Balls
Witness history in the making as Nepal's Dipendra Airee's fastest-ever innings breaks @YUVSTRONG12's T20I record ๐#SonySportsNetwork #Cheer4India #IssBaar100Paar #Cricket #Hangzhou2022 |โฆ pic.twitter.com/oFwfEa9Oxv
The partnership between Dipendra Singh and Kushal Malla yielded 55 runs for the fourth wicket in just 11 deliveries, propelling Nepal to become the first team ever to surpass the 300-run mark in T20Is.