Nepal collapses to 123 all-out against Italy (photos)
Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal struggled to build momentum and failed to set a competitive score.
KATHMANDU: Nepal posted a disappointing total of 123 runs, being bowled out in 19.3 overs, in their T20 World Cup clash against Italy at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal struggled to build momentum and failed to set a competitive score.
Nepal’s innings started poorly, with opener Kushal Bhurtel falling for 5 runs off 10 balls in the second over.
The team reached 46–1 in six overs but quickly slipped to 67–3 in the tenth over as Italy fought back effectively.
Italy’s bowlers made crucial breakthroughs, dismissing captain Rohit Paudel and Aasif Sheikh to swing the game in their favor.
Paudel managed 23 runs off 14 balls, including two sixes, before being caught at the boundary off Chris Delport’s delivery.
Aasif contributed 20 runs off 20 balls, striking two fours before being stumped by Ben Manenti just two balls later in the eighth over.
Dipendra Singh Airee added 17 runs off 18 balls but failed to hit a boundary and was bowled, while Lokesh Bam scored only 3 runs before giving a catch to Delport while attempting a big shot.
Italy’s off-break bowler Ben Manenti impressed, taking 2 wickets for just 9 runs in his 4-over spell.
Aarif top-scored for Nepal with 27 runs off 24 balls, including 3 fours, but other batsmen failed to make a significant contribution.
Gulshan Jha managed just 3 runs from 4 balls, and Nandan Yadav was run out for a duck.
Nepal’s lower order tried to add some respectability to the total, with Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane putting on 21 runs for the ninth wicket.
KC remained unbeaten on 18 runs off 11 balls, hitting a four and a six, while Sandeep scored 5 runs from 7 balls.
Lalit Rajbanshi fell for a duck after facing just 2 balls.
Italy’s Chris Delport finished with 3 wickets for 18 runs from 4 overs, while Manenti’s off-spin created major pressure in the middle overs, effectively dismantling Nepal’s batting lineup.
Nepal now faces an uphill battle in this group-stage encounter, with Italy in a strong position to chase down a modest target.
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