Nepal suffer narrow run defeat to England (photos)
Chasing a challenging target of 185 runs, Nepal managed 180 for six in their allotted 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered a narrow four-run defeat against two-time champions England in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, missing out on a historic win despite a spirited performance.
Chasing a challenging target of 185 runs, Nepal managed 180 for six in their allotted 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Dipendra Singh Airee top-scored for Nepal with a brilliant 44 off 29 balls, smashing six fours and a six. Captain Rohit Paudel and Lokesh Bam added valuable contributions, scoring 39 runs each, while opener Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with a fluent 29.
Middle-order batter Aarif Sheikh scored 10, but the remaining batters failed to reach double figures. Opener Aasif Sheikh was dismissed for seven, Gulshan Jha for one, and Karan KC added a single run.
Earlier, England posted 184 for seven after opting to bat first upon winning the toss.
Jacob Bethell led England’s charge with a well-crafted 55 off 35 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
Captain Harry Brook followed with a quick 53 from 32 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and three sixes.
Will Jacks remained unbeaten on 39, while Jos Buttler contributed 26 runs.
Nepal’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance against the strong English batting lineup.
Dipendra Singh Airee and Nandan Yadav claimed two wickets each, while Sher Malla and Sandeep Lamichhane picked up one wicket apiece.
England’s bowling was led by Liam Dawson, who took two crucial wickets.
Despite the defeat, Nepal’s close contest against England marked one of the finest performances in the nation’s cricketing history, as they came agonisingly close to registering a landmark victory on the global stage.
Nepal are placed in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Italy, and Scotland.
This is Nepal’s third appearance at the Men’s T20 World Cup, having previously featured in the 2014 edition in Bangladesh and the 2024 tournament in the United States, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage on both occasions.
Nepal’s playing XI for the match included Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, and Sandeep Lamichhane.
Nepal will face Italy in their second group match on Feb 12.
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