Malaysia finish third in T20 World Cup Asia qualifier as Virandeep Singh is named player of the tournament

Malaysia's cricketers have taken the first step on the road to the 2028 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The hosts finished third in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia Sub-Regional Qualifier B in Kuala Lumpur, which ended on Wednesday, 14 October. They booked a place in the Asia Regional Final in 2027. All-rounder Virandeep Singh was named Player of the Tournament for Qualifier B. Saudi Arabia won the group unbeaten and Hong Kong, China finished second.

How the group finished

Six teams played a single round-robin in Qualifier B: Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, the Maldives and China. The top three went through. Saudi Arabia won all five of their games to take their first ICC tournament title. Hong Kong secured second place with a win on the last day, and Malaysia took the third qualifying spot.

Qualifier A ran at the same time, with seven teams. Kuwait won it ahead of Bahrain, and Qatar finished third. The three teams from each event, six in all, now go to the 2027 Regional Final. Places in the global qualifying stage for the 2028 T20 World Cup will be decided there.

All 36 matches across the two events were played in Kuala Lumpur, at Bayuemas Oval, UKM Oval and STC Oval.

Malaysia's campaign: two early defeats, then three wins

Malaysia started badly. In their first home match they lost to Saudi Arabia, who also won tight finishes against Malaysia and Hong Kong in the final over. Malaysia then lost to Hong Kong by seven runs on the DLS method, which left them with work to do.

They responded with three straight wins. They beat the Maldives, then beat Singapore by 37 runs at Bayuemas Oval on 12 October. On the final day they beat China by six wickets to finish with three wins from five matches.

Virandeep's all-round show against Singapore

The win over Singapore was Virandeep's best performance of the tournament. Singapore sent Malaysia in to bat. Virandeep scored an unbeaten 65 off 52 balls, and Nazmus Sakib added a quick 29 off 12 as Malaysia reached 149 for 5 in their 20 overs.

Virandeep then took 5 for 14 in four overs, including three wickets in the 18th over, and Singapore were bowled out for 112 in 19 overs. According to the ICC, he is only the fifth player in men's T20 Internationals to score a fifty, take five wickets and hold a catch in the same match. Those performances earned him the Player of the Tournament award.

Syed Aziz routs China on the final day

Malaysia finished with a dominant win over China at Bayuemas Oval on 14 October. They won the toss and chose to bowl. Syed Aziz took 4 for 8 in four overs and Azri Azhar added 2 for 12. China were bowled out for 60 in exactly 20 overs.

Malaysia then chased the target in 7.2 overs, reaching 63 for 4. Aslam Khan made 27 off 15 balls and Nazmus Sakib hit 20 off 11. Syed Aziz was named Player of the Match.

China did not win a game in their return to ICC pathway cricket. Even so, Tian Sen Qun took seven wickets across the event.

What comes next

Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Malaysia will be joined at the 2027 Regional Final by Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. The ICC has not yet confirmed the venue or dates. Malaysia lost twice to the two teams that finished above them, so both will again be their main rivals at the next stage.

Saudi captain Waji Ul Hassan described winning the group as a "dream come true" for his side.

Key takeaways

• Hosts Malaysia finished third in Asia Sub-Regional Qualifier B and qualified for the 2027 Asia Regional Final.
• Malaysia lost to Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, then beat the Maldives, Singapore and China.
• Virandeep Singh scored 65 not out and took 5-14 against Singapore and was named Player of the Tournament.
• Syed Aziz took 4-8 as China were bowled out for 60 on the final day.
• Saudi Arabia (Qualifier B) and Kuwait (Qualifier A) won the two sub-regional events.

FAQ

Did Malaysia qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup? Not yet. Finishing third in Qualifier B sends Malaysia to the 2027 Asia Regional Final, which is the next stage of the qualifying pathway.

Which teams joined Malaysia in the Regional Final? Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong (China), Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar also qualified from the two sub-regional events held in Kuala Lumpur.

Who was Malaysia's standout player? Virandeep Singh, who was named Player of the Tournament after his match-winning all-round performance against Singapore.

Sources: ICC, IANS, The Sports Tak