KATHMANDU, May 31: Powered by explosive batting from Kushal Bhurtel and Kushal Malla, Nepal made a commanding start to their 20th Asian Games Qualifier campaign with a dominant win over China on Sunday.
Nepal defeated China by 221 runs in their opening Group ‘A’ match and will next face Malaysia.
Chasing a mammoth target of 314, China were bowled out for 92 in 19.2 overs. Shenjian Zheng top-scored with 31 runs.
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Kushal Malla also impressed with the ball, claiming three wickets, while Sandeep Lamichhane and Sompal Kami took two wickets each.
Earlier, at the Singapore National Cricket Ground, Nepal posted 313 for 2 in 20 overs—their second-highest total in T20 Internationals. Their highest remains 314 against Mongolia at the 19th Asian Games.
Opener Kushal Bhurtel led the charge with a blistering 129 off 43 balls, smashing 16 sixes and five fours. Kushal Malla remained unbeaten on 85 off 47 balls, hitting eight fours and five sixes.
Rohit Kumar Paudel added late fireworks with an unbeaten 69 off 21 balls, including five fours and seven sixes, while opener Aasif Sheikh made 11.
Remarkably, Kushal Malla delivered a rare all-round performance, conceding no runs and taking three wickets in just eight deliveries.
