Asian Games Men's T20I 2023 top run-getters and wicket-takers after Japan vs Hong Kong match (Updated) ft. Kushal Malla and Abhinash Bohara
Nepal continued their winning streak in Men's T20I with yet another huge victory, this time over the Maldives by 138 runs in the seventh match of the Asian Games 2023. Meanwhile, in the eighth game, Hong Kong emerged victorious over Japan by five wickets.
After winning the toss, Nepal opted to bat first. Opener Kushal Bhurtel was in ultra aggressive mode, scoring 35 runs off 18 balls. However, other top-order batters failed to create any impact, losing their wickets quite quickly.
In the middle-order, Gulshan Jha (35), captain Rohit Paudel (52) brought back the lost momentum. In the death overs, Kushal Malla continued his explosive batting, playing a perfect cameo, amassing unbeaten 47 off 20 balls to propel Nepal to 212/7 in 20 overs.
Medium pacer Nazwan Ismail was the standout bowler for the Maldives with his spell of 3/17 in four overs.
In response, the Maldives never looked in control with the bat, losing their top and middle order, with the score reading 23/6. Tailender Muawiyath Ghanee's 36-run knock salvaged some pride before they got bundled out for 74 runs in 19.4 overs.
Nepal's medium pacer Abinash Bohara registered the best bowling figures in Asian Games history, scalping six wickets after conceding just 11 runs in 3.4 overs.
In the eighth contest, Japan batted first after losing the toss. Opener Alexander Patmore lost his wicket for just seven runs. Lachlan Lake's 60 runs off 36 balls and captain Kendel Fleming's 32 runs off 25 balls took the side to 127 runs in 19 overs. However, other batters in the middle and lower-middle order couldn’t go past double-digit scores, with the team collapsing from 114/2 to 127/10 in no time.
Ayush Shukla and Anas Khan were the top bowlers for Hong Kong in the first innings, scalping two wickets each.
In pursuit of a 128-run target, Hong Kong openers Nizakat Khan and Muhammad Khan started off well with a 29-run partnership for the first wicket. Batting at No. 3, Babar Hayat scored 30 runs off 23 balls to keep his side on top.
In the middle-order, Shiv Mathur (20) and Nasrulla Rana’s 36-run unbeaten knock sealed the deal for their side with seven balls to spare, bagging victory by five wickets.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the top run-scorers and wicket-takers of the Asian Games T20I, 2023.
Asian Games Men's T20I 2023 Most Runs List
Kushal Malla maintained his top spot on the batting charts after playing a 20-ball 47-run unbeaten cameo against the Maldives. He is currently leading the batting charts with 184 runs from two innings. Nepal captain Rohit Paudel smacked a fifty against the Maldives to secure the second rank on the charts with 113 runs from two innings at an average of 56.5.
Japan opener Lachlan Lake jumped to the third spot, accumulating 92 runs at an average of 50. He smacked a 60-run knock against Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's No. 3 batter Babar Hayat’s 30-run knock propelled him to the fourth position with 70 runs from two innings. Japan skipper Kendel Fleming occupies the fifth slot with 67 runs after amassing 32 runs off 25 balls against Hong Kong.
Asian Games Men's T20I 2023 Most Wickets List
Nepal medium pacer Abhinash Bohara bagged the best bowling figures in Asian Games history with his spell of 6/11 against the Maldives. He is currently the leading wicket-taker with eight scalps from two innings.
Singapore left-arm spinner Anish Paraam occupies the second rank with five wickets from two innings at an average of 5.4. Singapore's left-arm spinner Aahan Gopinath Achar claimed the third slot with five scalps from two innings. Hong Kong medium fast bowler Nasrulla Rana settled for the fourth position with four wickets.