Nepali batter reaches rare T20I milestone; It adds Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma in the elite list

Nepal’s Kushal Bhurtel (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade) Nepal batsman Kushal Bhurtel continued his outstanding form in men’s cricket qualification for the Asian Games, equaling a rare world record with back-to-back T20I centuries just days after hitting six sixes in a single over.The explosive opener produced another breathtaking innings on Thursday as Nepal beat Malaysia by 167 runs to step up their push to reach the finals of the tournament.After Malaysia opted to field first, Bhurtel and wicket-keeper batsman Aasif Sheikh launched a ferocious assault at the top of the order. The pair added 134 runs for the opening wicket and raced to three figures before completing the seventh over. Nepal’s scoring rate hardly slowed down after that and the side reached a stunning 230 for 2 at the end of the 16th over.Aasif provided the first fireworks, smashing 68 off just 24 deliveries before Virandeep Singh finally ended his innings. However, the spotlight soon belonged entirely to Bhurtel.The left-hander raced to his half-century in just 25 balls and needed just 19 more deliveries to make it a hundred. He eventually returned after a sensational knock of 126 off 54 balls, studded with 14 boundaries and eight sixes.Fueled by Bhurtel’s brilliance, Nepal piled up 275 runs to complete a dominant victory. Malaysia never threatened the target and were bowled out for just 108.The century had another meaning for Bhurtel. Having already hit a hundred against China in Nepal’s opening group match, he became only the 10th cricketer in T20I history to score centuries in consecutive innings.This achievement places him alongside an exclusive group with players such as Rilee Rossouw, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Phil Salt.Bhurtel’s remarkable streak began in the tournament opener against China where he bowled one of the most devastating overs in international cricket. After reaching his fifty in eight overs, he targeted left-armer Chen Zhou Yue in the next over and launched all six batters for sixes, with most of the shots flying straight back over the bowler’s head.Despite the heavy defeat, Malaysia have already secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games after defeating China earlier in the competition. They will now face Group B winners Hong Kong in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Nepal will take on Oman as they continue their quest for gold.But for now, the tournament belongs to Bhurtel. He smashed six sixes in the shootout over four days, scored back-to-back T20I centuries and etched his name in the record books with one of the most explosive batting displays to be seen in affiliate cricket.

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