Nepal’s cricket prodigy Kushal Malla sets the pitch ablaze with record-breaking T20I century in Asian Games 2023, know more about him

The much-awaited T20I tournament in the ongoing Asian Games 2023 finally kicked off on Tuesday, September 26 when Nepal and Mongolia clashed against each other at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou. The contest will be written in the history of T20I cricket as they became the first team to achieve the 300-run mark in the shortest format.

Nepal’s young cricket sensation, Kushal Malla, was the architect of this historic innings as he etched his name in the annals of cricket history by scoring the fastest-ever T20I century. Malla’s scintillating knock left cricket enthusiasts around the world awestruck. He played a magnificent knock of 137 runs which came off just 50 balls including 8 fours and 12 sixes.

The 18-year-old young prodigy hails from Butwal, Nepal, and has been making waves in the cricketing world since his debut in 2019. He first came into the limelight in 2020 when he smashed a half-century as a 15-year-old kid to rescue Nepal from a troubling situation in the ODI Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match against the United States. Interestingly, it was his maiden ODI appearance as well. 

Kushal Malla’s impressive figures in the ODI format

Talking about Malla’s figures on international platforms, he has appeared in 29 ODIs and 15 T20I matches. Apart from his destructive batting ability, Malla also bowls left-hand spin bowling. Malla has scored 634 runs in the ODI format at an average of 25.36 and has also taken 18 wickets as well. He has 4 half-centuries and a century in the ODI format.

His incredible feat at the Asian Games 2023 was a breathtaking display of his talent, resilience, and sheer determination. Malla’s century came off just 34 balls, showcasing his ability to accelerate with ease and take on even the most formidable of bowlers. What makes Kushal Malla’s journey even more remarkable is his relatively young age and limited international exposure. 

Apart from Malla, there was another player from the team who stole some spotlight. We’re talking about Devendra Singh who smashed the fastest fifty ever in the history of T20I format. Devendra took only 9 balls to complete his half-century and broke the old legendary 16-year-old record of Yuvraj Singh who smashed the fifty in 12 balls.