Nepalese batsman Kushal Bhartel Matched a rare world record with back-to-back T20I centuries just days after hitting six sixes in a single over, continuing his phenomenal run of form in the men’s cricket qualifiers of the Asian Games.The explosive opener played another impressive innings on Thursday as Nepal beat Malaysia by 167 runs to strengthen their push for a place in the finals of the tournament.After Malaysia chose to field first, Bhartel and the wicketkeeper bat Asif Sheikh At the top of the order launched a fierce attack. The pair added 134 runs for the opening wicket and reached the figure of three before the completion of the seventh over. After that, Nepal’s scoring pace barely slowed down, reaching 230 for 2 by the end of the 16th over.Asif provided the initial fireworks, scoring 68 off just 24 balls, before Virandeep Singh ended his innings. However, the spotlight soon belonged entirely to Bhartel.The left-hander completed his half-century in just 25 balls and needed 19 more balls to convert it into a century. He eventually withdrew after a sensational knock of 126 off 54 balls, with 14 fours and eight sixes.With Bhartel’s brilliance, Nepal were bundled out for 275 runs before completing a dominant victory. Malaysia never threatened the target and were bowled out for just 108 runs.This century gained further significance for Bhortel. Having already scored a century against China in Nepal’s opening group fixture, he became only the 10th male cricketer in T20I history to score centuries in consecutive innings.The success puts him in an exclusive group that includes players like Riley Russo. Sanju Samson, Tilak Verma And full salt.Bhartel’s streak began in the tournament opener against China, where he produced one of the most devastating overs ever seen in international cricket. After reaching his fifty within eight overs, he targeted left-arm spinner Chen Zou Yu in the next over and started all six balls for six, most of the blows going straight to the bowler’s head.Despite the heavy defeat, Malaysia had already qualified for the 2026 Asian Games by defeating China in the previous competition. They will now face Group B winners Hong Kong in the semi-finals. Nepal, meanwhile, will take on Oman as they continue their quest for gold.For now, though, the tournament belongs to Bhartel. In the space of four days, he hit six sixes in an over, scored back-to-back T20I centuries and etched his name into the record books with one of the most explosive batting displays in associate cricket.
