3 records that were broken in India's win over Nepal at the Asian games
India's men's cricket team put on a terrific show as they beat Nepal by 23 runs in the first quarterfinal of the Asian Games men's T20I at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field in Hangzhou on Tuesday, October 3.
Opting to bat first, India piled up 202/4 on the back of a superlative century by Yashasvi Jaiswal. The left-hander played some outlandish shots in his knock of 100 off 49 balls.
Shivam Dube (25* off 19) and Rinku Singh (37* off 15) also delivered useful cameos at the end to finish India's innings on a high.
In reply, the Nepalese batters looked threatening. Opener Kushal Bhurtel (28) provided a solid start, while Nepal's stars from their first game, Kushal Malla (29) and Dipendra Singh Airee (32), also struck some big blows.
However, the Indian bowlers chipped away with crucial wickets and never let the opposition breathe easy. Ravi Bishnoi, in particular, was extremely impressive, picking up three key wickets in his four overs.
Arshdeep Singh (2/43) and Avesh Khan (3/32) also had a good outing as India restricted Nepal to 179/9 and won the encounter by 23 runs.
The match also witnessed a slew of records being broken. On that note, here are three significant records that were tumbled during India's win over Nepal in the Asian Games.
#3 Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes first Indian to score T20I century in a match where no one else reached 40
Right from the word go, Jaiswal showcased his class and smashed the Nepalese bowlers to all parts of the ground. While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad (25 off 23), took time to settle in, Jaiswal kept the momentum going and made a wonderful century.
It seemed as if he was batting on a different pitch altogether, as the other batters found it difficult to score runs as freely. Interestingly, no other batter from either side managed to get past 40.
This is the first time such an instance has occurred in a match involving India. Rinku Singh posted the second-highest score in the game.
[Stat credit: @kaustats]
#2 Highest T20I total by an Associate Nation vs India
Against a quality Indian bowling attack, the Nepal batters put up a solid fight and, at one point, looked like they could cause an upset.
At 62/1, they needed to bat maturely and target the correct bowlers. Unfortunately, they lost wickets at regular junctures.
However, they ended up with a respectable total of 179/9. This is now the highest T20I score any Associate Nation has managed to pile up against India. Hong Kong previously held the record, scoring 152/5 at the 2022 Asia Cup.
[Stat credit: @kaustats]
#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal is now the youngest T20I centurion for India
Another record that Yashasvi Jaiswal broke on Tuesday was that of becoming the youngest player to score a T20I century for India.
Jaiswal, who is currently 21 years and 279 days old (on the day of his century), eclipsed Shubman Gill on the list. Gill scored his maiden T20I hundred against New Zealand at the age of 23 years and 146 days.