The first ever Men's T20 International in the Asian Games competition between Nepal and Mongolia saw several of the long-standing records in the format broken.
Nepal's day in the sun (314/3 by Nepal) is the highest total ever in T20 cricket, surpassing 278/3 by Afghanistan against Ireland in Dehradun in February 2019, which was later matched by the Czech Republic, who made 278/4 against Turkey in Ilfov County later in August that year.
9 The balls taken by Dipendra Singh Airee to reach fifty are the fastest ever in the history of all international cricket. Airee came into bat after the fall of the third wicket in 18.1 overs and smashed eight of the ten balls he faced over the ropes. The previous quickest was by 12 balls each by Yuvraj Singh against England in Durban in 2007, Chris Gayle for the Melbourne Renegades against the Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne in 2016, and Hazratullah Zazai for Kabul Zwanan against the Balkh Legends in Sharjah in APL 2018.
34 balls Kushal Malla hit his maiden T20 International century off just 34 deliveries, making it the fastest in the format, surpassing the 35-ball knocks by David Miller (vs. Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017), Rohit Sharma (vs. Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017), and Sudesh Wickramsekara (Czech Republic vs. Turkey, Ilfov County, 2019). It also happens to be the highest individual score for Nepal in T20Is, surpassing Airee's unbeaten 110 against Malaysia in Kirtipur last year.
273 runs The victory margin of 273 runs by Nepal happens to be the biggest ever in a T20, going past the 257-run win by the Czech Republic in the above-mentioned match against Turkey. Overall, this is just the third instance of a side winning by 200+ runs in a T20, all three happening in internationals.
26 sixes hit by Nepal is the most ever in a T20 innings for a team, bettering 23 by Balkh Legends against Kabul Zwanan in Sharjah in the now-defunct Afghanistan Premier League in 2018. The previous most in a T20 international was 22 each by Afghanistan against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019, later equaled by the West Indies against South Africa in Centurion earlier this year.
212 runs were scored in boundaries by Nepal—14 fours and 26 maximums. It happens to be the most ever in a T20, going past 210 each by Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru in the 2013 IPL and by India against Sri Lanka in Indore in 2017.
Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee etch their names in record books.
193 The third wicket stand of 193 between Malla and Airee is the highest ever for third wicket or lower in T20Is, dwarfing the 184-run third wicket partnership between Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips against the West Indies in Mount Maunganui in 2020. It also happens to be the highest ever for any wicket for Nepal in T20Is, bettering 171 by Airee and Kushal Bhurtel against the Philippines in Al Amerat in 2022.
520 The strike rate for Airee is 52 runs off just ten balls. It happens to be the highest ever in a T20 for an innings of ten or more balls, bettering Malcolm Waller's 10-ball unbeaten 43 for the Mid West Rhinos against the Matabeleland Tuskers in Bulawayo in 2016. The previous highest for a T20 international was Norman Vanua's 12-ball 47 for PNG against Vanuatu in Apia in July 2019.
23 extras in Mongolia's riposte of 41 all out. The highest scorer in the innings, Davaasuren Jamyansuren, was the only batter to reach double figures. Extras constituted 56% of Mongolia's total, the first instance of an extra contribution surpassing 50% of an all-out total. The previous highest was 34.6% in China's total of 26 (nine extras) against Thailand in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.
