All-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee scored a record century as hosts Nepal, already assured of final as group toppers, thumped Malaysia by 85 runs on Saturday to set up the title clash against Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Airee scored an unbeaten 110 off 57 to set the record as the highest individual scorer in a T20I match by Nepali player eclipsing former captain Gyanendra Malla's mark of 107 runs. He also bagged two wickets.

Put into bat first, Nepal posted 223-5 before bowling out Malaysia for 138 runs in the penultimate ball of the innings.

The outcomes sent Malaysia crashing out from the group stage on run rate despite wrapping up the group stage with equal two points as that of PNG who finished second. The double round robin format tournament sends the top two finishers of the league stage to final.

Nepal meanwhile topped the group with maximum eight points from four matches. The home team had defeated PNG by 15 runs and 37 runs while they had edged Malaysia by six wickets.

"The team is in good shape and everyone has been fulfilling their responsibilities," said Nepal captain Sandeep Lamichhane. "The way the game was going on until the 13th over, I was expecting to score around 235 runs. However, 223 runs total is also a big score. We should have been able to score a few more runs. But scoring such a big total after losing two early wickets is a big achievement."

He also added that the wicket was favourable for batting. "It is a good sign that we are getting wickets and the pitch is really favourable for batting. But it is really tough for bowlers to play on the wicket. If we continue getting wickets in the future, it will be helpful for the growth of Nepali cricket," he added

Though Nepal lost openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh for 12 runs and 18 runs with 2-36 on board, Rohit Paudel and Airee led Nepal's charge. Bhurtel was trapped leg before in the third over by Muhammad Wafiq and Sheikh was caught by Sharvin Muniandy off Pavandeep Singh.

Twenty-year old Paudel played 34-ball 51, his career's first T20I half century, and also shared a 96-run stand for the third wicket with Airee. He hit five fences before being caught by Muhamad Syahadat off Muhammad Amir.

Airee, who also became the second batter to score both T20I and ODI centuries after former captain Paras Khadka, smashed 10 boundaries and six maximums. He also took his T20I runs tally to 979 from 33 innings and is just 21 runs shy of becoming the first Nepali player to reach the 1,000 runs milestone.

The 22-year-old, who also bowls off-spin, reached his century facing 50 deliveries. Player-of-the-match Airee collected 22 runs from the last over, including three sixes, to hit his maiden T20I century. Mohammad Adil Alam, run out in the last delivery of the innings, contributed 14 off 9. Nepal also got extra 16 runs.

Malaysian bowler Muhammad Wafiq, Pavandeep Singh, Syazrul Idrus and Muhammad Amir all shared one wicket each.

In the run chase, Malaysia lost wickets in regular intervals though opener Virandeep Singh contributed 47 off 26. He struck nine boundaries before he was caught by Aasif Sheikh off Airee. His opening partner Zubaidi Zulkifle was out for a duck as he was caught by Bhurtel off Airee.

Captain Ahmad Faiz made a remarkable contribution of 33 runs facing 31 deliveries before he was caught by Bhurtel off captain Sandeep Lamichhane. Syed Aziz and Ainool Hafizs were the other batters to touch double digit figures scoring 17 runs and 18 runs respectively.

Captain Lamichhane claimed two wickets for Nepal, apart from two wickets each by Airee duo Dipendra and Kamal Singh. Lamichhane conceded 19 runs in his four-over spell while Dipendra gave away 24 runs in his three-over bowling and Kamal 20 runs in a two-over haul.

The final will be played on Monday.