Nepal Crush Malaysia by 167 Runs as Kushal Bhurtel Smashes Back-to-Back T20I Centuries

Nepal delivered another commanding performance in the Asian Games Men’s Qualifier, defeating Malaysia by 167 runs on Thursday in Singapore.

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Nepal piled up a massive 275/7 in 20 overs before bowling Malaysia out for 108 in reply. The result secured Nepal’s second consecutive win and top position in Group A.

Bhurtel was once again the standout performer and he scored a blistering 126 off just 54 balls including 14 fours and eight sixes. The innings came immediately after his 129 against China, making him only the tenth player in men’s T20 internationals to register centuries in consecutive innings. His recent form places him alongside elite names such as Sanju Samson, Phil Salt, and Rilee Rossouw.

The knock also saw Bhurtel surpass Dipendra Singh Airee to become Nepal’s highest run-scorer in T20Is and reached 2,240 runs from 78 matches. While Dipendra Singh Airee contributed a quickfire 31 off 11 deliveries.

Bhurtel further etched his name into Nepal’s cricket history by becoming the first Nepali batter to score three T20I centuries. His earlier hundred came against the Philippines during the 2022 Global World Cup Qualifier.

Aasif Sheikh provided strong support at the top with a rapid 68 off 24 balls, combining with Bhurtel for a 134-run partnership in just nine overs, effectively putting the game beyond Malaysia’s reach early in the innings. Contributions from Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, and others pushed Nepal to an imposing total, despite Rohit Paudel falling for a rare duck.

Malaysia’s bowling attack found little relief, although Virandeep Singh picked up three wickets, while Vijay Unni and Syed Aziz claimed two each.

In response, Malaysia never settled under pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Syed Aziz top-scored with 54 off 45 balls, but the chase quickly unravelled.

Sher Malla led Nepal’s bowling effort with figures of 3 for 14, while Sandeep Lamichhane, Airee, Karan KC, Kushal Malla, and Sompal Kami each chipped in with a wicket to complete a disciplined all-round display.

Nepal had earlier defeated China by 221 runs, underlining their dominant start to the qualification campaign and reinforcing their strong form heading into the next fixtures.