Bhurtel sends Nepalese into delirium

A couple of years ago an unexpected name and a not-so-common flag popped up on the International Cricket Council’s official Twitter page. This post for the Player of the Month nominees in May 2021, included Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam and… Kushal Bhurtel. 

Bhurtel had scored 278 runs at an average of 69.50 in Twenty20 Internationals in his debut month as an international cricketer for Nepal, and on Monday he showed how he goes about his business, even if it’s against one of the best sides in the world. 

The news seemed grim for Nepal when India won the toss and put them into bat, many assuming that the end would come swiftly. However, once Bhurtel played a sparkling on-drive off Mohammed Siraj, and then followed it up with what could well become the shot of the tournament, it was evident that the Nepalese weren’t too concerned about the opponents. 

Granted, he was dropped a couple of times, but to play that pull? Phew. 

With Siraj dropping the short one in at over 145 kmph, Bhurtel sat back and, with the most nonchalant of postures, pulled the ball into the car park - a good 100 or so metres from the centre strip - over deep backward square. It was a moment that Nepal cricket will remember for a long time to come, and the fans, who outnumbered the handful of Indians at the venue, went into delirium. 

They danced and sang with abandon, adding more than a dash of charm to the quaint venue.

Sure, Aasif Sheikh went on to score 58 runs while playing a couple of exceptional strokes himself and did more damage as far as the score was concerned, but that shot was the genesis of the confidence, the moment that shook all the fanboying out of them. 

Bhurtel’s pull, surely, will turn into a poster for the next generation, a symbol of what a middle-class boy from Lumbini can do when he puts his mind to it. 

The 26-year-old started his career rather late, but showed promise rather early, ending up with Nepal’s Under-19 side by 2016, alongside Sandeep Lamichhane and Aasif Sheikh. 

It just so happened that this trip became the core of the senior team by 2021, and their journey as a trio helped them keep the team intact while going on to win more than they could have expected only a year ago. 

And now, they’re playing India in Sri Lanka, and showing that they are more than capable of holding their own. It sure came as a surprise. In fact, even the fans, though caught in a beer-infused trance to each song and each stroke, were in awe of what they were witnessing. 

No one gave Nepal a chance, but here they were showing that were worthy of that and more, and Bhurtel’s pull is where that feeling began even if his knock eventually yielded only 38 runs from 25 balls. 

Rohit Sharma’s frown accompanied by his anxious lip-biting was reflective of the impact of the shot which was heard in Pallekele and Kathmandu much the same.