Nepal narrowly missed out on a historic victory, losing by four runs to England in their opening Group C match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a target of 185, Nepal finished on 180 for six in 20 overs. Nepal needed 10 runs from the final over but could manage only five, failing to hit a boundary as England held on for a tense win.
Nepal’s openers Asif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel gave the team a promising start. Sheikh was dismissed for seven, while Bhurtel scored 29. The pair put on 37 runs for the first wicket in 3.5 overs, the highest opening partnership for Nepal in T20 World Cup history. The previous best was 36 runs, set in 2014.
Sheikh was caught off Akeem Dawson, while Bhurtel was dismissed caught and bowled by Will Jacks. Bhurtel struck four fours and one six from 17 deliveries.
Airee–Paudel Partnership Keeps Nepal in the Chase
Captain Rohit Kumar Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee then rebuilt the innings, sharing an 82-run partnership for the third wicket to keep Nepal in contention. Airee scored 44 from 29 balls, hitting six fours and one six, and became the first Nepali batter to reach 2,000 runs in T20 Internationals.
He was caught off Sam Curran, while Paudel followed soon after, scoring 39 from 34 balls before being dismissed in the 16th over. After their departures, Aasif Sheikh and Lokesh Bam took responsibility. Aasif was dismissed for 10 in the 18th over, edging behind off Jofra Archer after hitting a six.
Bam then lifted Nepal’s hopes by hitting Archer for two sixes off the fifth and sixth balls of the same over. Nepal required 24 runs from the final two overs. Fourteen runs came from the 19th over, aided by three wides from Luke Wood and two boundaries from Bam. However, Gulshan Jha was bowled off the final delivery of the over.
Nepal entered the last over needing 10 runs. Sam Curran conceded no run from the first ball. Bam took a single from the second, Karan KC managed one from the third, and Bam ran two from the fourth. No run came from the fifth delivery, and with six needed from the last ball, Bam could score only one.
Bam finished with 39 runs from 20 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Dawson was the pick of England’s bowlers with two wickets.
England Post 184 as Nepal Look Ahead to Next Matches
Earlier, England elected to bat first and posted 184 for seven, led by half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook. Debutant Sher Malla struck with his first ball in T20 World Cup cricket, dismissing Phil Salt for one, caught by Sandeep Lamichhane.
Bethell then anchored the innings, scoring 48 from 35 balls with four fours and four sixes before being caught by Lokesh Bam off Airee’s bowling in the 14th over, with England already on 128.
Jos Buttler was dismissed in the fifth over, caught by wicketkeeper Asif Sheikh off Nandan Yadav. Tom Banton fell for two, trapped lbw by Lamichhane after an unsuccessful review. Sam Curran was dismissed for two by Airee one over later.
Brook kept the momentum going, scoring 53 from 32 balls with four fours and three sixes before being caught by Malla off Nandan Yadav in the 19th over. Will Jacks provided the late surge, remaining unbeaten on 39 from 18 balls, including three sixes in the final over.
For Nepal, Airee and Nandan Yadav took two wickets each, while Sher Malla and Lamichhane claimed one apiece. Airee also became Nepal’s leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Sompal Kami’s record to reach eight wickets.
Despite Karan KC running out Jofra Archer in the final over, Nepal conceded three sixes to Jacks. The match also marked Rohit Paudel becoming Nepal’s most-capped captain in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Paras Khadka’s record.
Nepal will face Italy in their second Group C match on Magh 29, followed by matches against West Indies on Falgun 3 and Scotland on Falgun 5. All of Nepal’s group-stage matches will be played in Mumbai.
