The Isle of Man’s infamous cricketing record of the lowest ever T20 International (T20I) total has now been equalled. Earlier today, during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier A, Mongolia were bowled out for just 10 runs by Singapore at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval in Bangi, Malaysia. This ties the record set by the Isle of Man in 2023 when they were dismissed for the same total against Spain.
In the Mongolian/Singapore match today, Singapore’s bowlers put on a clinical display, spearheaded by wrist spinner Harsha Bhardwaj. His remarkable figures of 6 wickets for just 3 runs tore through Mongolia’s batting line-up. Bhardwaj’s bowling was supported by Akshay Puri (2/4), Rahul Sheshadri (1/2), and Ramesh Kalimuthu (1/1), as Mongolia could only survive 10 overs before their innings came to an end at the joint-lowest score ever recorded in T20I history.
Despite an early breakthrough by Mongolia’s Enkhbat Batkhuyag, who dismissed Singapore captain Manpreet Singh for a golden duck, Singapore needed just five deliveries to chase down the 11-run target. Raoul Sharma’s aggressive shot-making saw him hit a six off his first ball, and William Simpson finished the job with a boundary, sealing a comfortable victory for Singapore.
The Isle of Man’s previous record occurred in February 2023, when they were bowled out for 10 runs by Spain in a T20I. Spain’s Mohammad Kamran and Atif Mehmood took four wickets apiece, while Lorne Burns claimed two. The Spanish side chased down the total in just two balls, with Awais Ahmed hitting back-to-back sixes to seal the win.
This latest collapse by Mongolia has left the Isle of Man’s record tied, but the spotlight on cricketing lows has now shifted. Both teams, now forever linked in cricketing trivia, will look to recover and forge a new path in the future of international cricket.