Singapore T20I Tri-series 2019, Match 2, Singapore vs Nepal – Paras Khadka’s record hundred, Nepal's big win, Singapore’ first defeat and more stats

Nepal opened their winning count in the Singapore T20I Tri-series as they defeated the hosts Singapore in convincing style. The stand-in skipper Timothy David’s unbeaten 64 powered Singapore to 151/3 in the 20 overs. Paras Khadka kept attacking the Singapore bowlers as the required run-rate came below six by half-way stage. He scored an unbeaten 106 from only 51 balls which included nine maximums and seven fours. Paras added 145* for the 2nd wicket with Aarif Sheikh (39*) from only 14.3 overs as Nepal completed the chase with four overs to spare.

All the statistical highlights from Nepal’s big win over Singapore on Saturday:

Leading from the front:

1 – Paras Khadka became the first player in the history of T20I cricket to score a century as captain while chasing. Pieter Seelaar’s unbeaten 96 against Scotland earlier this month was the previous highest score by a captain in a T20I chase.

9 – Khadka’s nine sixes in this game are the 2nd most by any player as captain in a T20I game. Rohit Sharma during his century against Sri Lanka in the 2017 Indore T20I and Aaron Finch during his 172 against Zimbabwe last year hit 10 sixes apiece.

A total of 13 sixes were hit in this match by two captains in this match; the most in a T20I match by captains. Timothy David of Singapore scored an unbeaten 64 with four sixes. The aggregate of 170 runs by captains in this game is also the 3rd highest in a T20I.

49 – Paras completed his hundred in 49 balls which is the 3rd fastest century by a captain in T20I cricket. Rohit Sharma scored a 35-ball ton in 2017 against Sri Lanka while Faf du Plessis needed only 45 balls for his century against West Indies in 2015 Johannesburg T20I.

First defeat for Singapore:

1 – This was Singapore team’s first loss in the T20I cricket. They won their first three matches in the T20I format which were played during the T20 CWC Asia-Qualifiers this year; all three at the Indian Association ground only.

Paras raises Nepal’s standards:

1 – Paras Khadka became the first player from Nepal to score a century in T20I cricket. He is also the first to score a hundred for Nepal in any Twenty20 game. The unbeaten 86 by Paras against Malaysia this year is the previous highest T20 score for Nepal.

2 – Khadka scored both the International centuries recorded for Nepal. He scored 115 against UAE in the Dubai ODI this year which was Nepal’s first-ever ODI hundred.

Lowest score for a T20I hundred:

154/1 – Nepal’s total of 154/1 is the lowest T20I score to involve a hundred. The previous lowest team total with a T20I ton was 161/5 of Australia in the 2018 Hobart T20I where Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten 103.

Nepal chase:

154/1 – Nepal’s total of 154/1 in this game is their 2nd highest T20I total ever. They finished with 173/6 in the Kuala Lumpur T20I this year against Singapore. Across all Twenty20s, Nepal posted only one bigger score – 186/4 in 2013 against Kenya while chasing.

Record partnership:

145* – The unbeaten 145-run partnership for the 2nd wicket between Paras Khadka and Aarif Sheikh is Nepal’s first-ever century partnership for any wicket in any T20 game. This is also the first 100-run stand for Nepal in International cricket.

In fact, the 145-run partnership is Nepal’s 2nd highest stand for any wicket in any format (FC/List A/T20). Khadka added 167 with Sharad Vesawkar for the 3rd wicket against Namibia in 2016.