An all round show from Kushal Bhurtel helped Nepal defeat Papua New Guinea by 85 runs and enter into the final of the Hong Kong T20I Series in Mong Kok, Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Nepal, invited to bat first, posted 198-6 in the allotted 20 overs after opener Bhurtel and Sundeep Jora scored half-centuries.

Bhurtel then took 4-12 in his magical four-over spell to restrict PNG to 133 all out in 16.1 overs.

Bhurtel smashed 59 runs off 39 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes. Bhurtel also became the second Nepali batter to cross the 1000-run mark in the T20Is.

The 27-year-old completed his eighth T20I fifty with a stylish six off Jack Gardener in the 12.4 overs and reached the landmark a ball later. Bhurtel then slammed another six to Norman Vanua to accumulate 1008 T20I runs before getting caught by John Kariko in the 14.3 overs.

Bhurtel has played 36 T20I matches for Nepal since making his debut in April, 2021 during the Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series against the Netherlands.

Dipendra Singh Airee, who has been rested for the Hong Kong series, tops the chart of most T20I runs with 1476 runs. Airee reached his 1000-run mark from 34 innings during the Nepal Tri-Nation T20I Series final against PNG in April 2022.

Bhurtel added 64 runs for the opening wicket with Binod Bhandari (27) to give Nepal a strong start.

Nepal lost three quick wickets of Bhandari, skipper Rohit Paudel (1) and Aarif Sheikh (4) adding just three runs and were in trouble at 70-3 in the 10th over.

But Jora played a crucial knock of 26-ball 56 that featured three fours and four maximums to steady the ship. It was Jora’s second T20I half-century.

Lokesh Bam added 14 and Gulsan Jha contributed 19 not out before Bibek Yadav cracked three sixes off Vanua in the final over to guide Nepal to a big total.

Assad Vala took two wickets, while Nosaina Pokana, Kariko and Vanua picked a wicket apiece for PNG.

In reply, PNG plundered 32 runs in three overs to make an aggressive start to their chase.

But they soon ran out of gas.

Pratis GC (2-40) bowled Tony Ura for 13 in the last delivery of the third over to break their opening stand and Sese Bau followed Ura adding 21 runs three balls later after Bhandari stumped him.

Bhurtel got his first wicket of the innings dispatching captain Vala in the 17.5 overs.

Hiri Hiri, who had hit Karan KC with a six and four to make an explosive start to his innings, joined the dugout three balls later after GC checked him on 28 in the 9th over.

PNG were already reeling at 89-5 inside 11 overs and plunged into further trouble when they lost three wickets in successive deliveries.

Aakash Chand first got rid of Charles Amini (9) in the 10.6 overs before Bhurtel dismissed Lega Siaka (5) and Vanua (0).

Bhurtel then completed his four-wicket haul taking the wicket of Kiplin Doriga in the 14th over.

The target was already out of sight for PNG, who then lost the wickets of Pokana (12) and Kariko to surrender the match.

Nepal will retake PNG in the final after Vala’s men quickly forgot the pain and secured their spot in the title match, thrashing hosts Hong Kong by 10 wickets in their second T20I of the day.

A batting failure saw Hong Kong manage 121 all out in 18.3 overs, with Zeeshan Ali’s unconquered half-century providing their highest individual score. Ali scored 55 runs facing 29 deliveries.

Nasrulla Rana (16) and Ehsan Khan (16) were the second highest scorers of Hong Kong innings.

Kabua Morea, Alei Nao, Vala and Bau took two wickets each for PNG.

In the run chase, Ura and Bau scored unbeaten half centuries to overhaul the 122-run target in 12.4 overs.

Nepal progressed into the final as group winners with three points. Their opening match against Hong Kong was washed out by the rain.

PNG finished the group in second position with two points.

Winless Hong Kong remained third with one point.

The final will be played on Wednesday.