Nepal vs England T20 World Cup clash turned into a near-upset at Wankhede as Nepal pushed the champions to the final ball.
Nepal are fast earning a reputation as world cricket’s nearly men. At the 2024 World Cup, they lost to South Africa by a single run. On Sunday night at the Wankhede, they fell agonisingly short again — this time by one big hit — against England. One more six off the final ball would have delivered an upset of truly Himalayan proportions.
Nepal vs England T20 World Cup: One Shot from History
Ten runs from the last over, with six needed off the final delivery, may sound ambitious for a team ranked 16th in the world. But Nepal had spent the entire evening proving rankings mean little in a contest driven by belief and momentum. Against a two-time world champion, they remained in the fight until the very last second.
Just two overs earlier, Nepal had torn into Jofra Archer, smashing 22 runs off one of the fastest bowlers in the game. Three towering sixes made it Archer’s joint-most expensive over in T20 internationals. Luke Wood followed with a costly over of his own, and suddenly Nepal sensed history within reach.
With that momentum behind them, ten off the final over looked achievable. But Sam Curran held his nerve, nailing his yorkers under pressure. Lokesh Bam — who had played fearlessly and was central to Nepal’s charge — couldn’t clear the boundary one last time. England escaped by four runs, relieved rather than triumphant.
Nepal were left balancing pride with heartbreak. “It’s both,” said Nandan Yadav, one of Nepal’s standout bowlers. “We’re proud because we competed against a team like England and came so close. But there’s also regret, because the win was right there.”
England, who have previously stumbled against associate nations in T20 World Cups, avoided another shock. Under captain Harry Brook and coach Brendon McCullum, they stayed composed, rotated their bowlers smartly and leaned on the experience of senior players like Jos Buttler to steer them through a dangerous stretch.
Player of the Match Will Jacks summed it up candidly. “There’s relief, more than anything,” he admitted. “We came here to win, and we did. But we know games like this will keep coming.”
The T20 World Cup has a long history of giant-killings — from the USA stunning Pakistan to the Netherlands unsettling traditional powers. This, however, would have eclipsed them all had Nepal crossed the line.
Chasing 185, Nepal never lost touch with the target. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee (44), Rohit Paudel (39), Bam (39) and Kushal Bhurtel (29) paced the chase superbly on a pitch that had challenged even elite batters the previous night. England’s late burst of 20 runs in the final over of their innings proved the decisive difference.
Nepal’s rise in world cricket is no longer a novelty. An Associate Member of the ICC, the Cricket Association of Nepal has set its sights on Full Membership by 2030. The board has launched a three-day domestic competition and is pushing for first-class recognition as part of its long-term Test ambitions.
“There’s a lot we still need to build,” Nandan acknowledged. “Red-ball cricket especially. Becoming a Test nation is a dream, but it’s a tough road.”
Results, however, suggest Nepal are on the right path. They ran South Africa close at the last World Cup, defeated West Indies in a bilateral series last year, and boast record-holder Airee, who smashed the fastest T20I fifty — off just nine balls — in 2023.
They also travel with one of the most passionate fan bases in cricket. A crowd of nearly 17,000 at the Wankhede roared Nepal on, with even neutral fans drawn into the underdog story. “Wherever we play, it feels like home,” Nandan said. “That support means everything.”
Despite the heartbreak, Nepal haven’t abandoned hope. With three more matches to come — against Italy, West Indies and Scotland — all at the Wankhede, belief remains strong.
They may have missed history by one shot, but Nepal left Mumbai having announced, louder than ever, that they belong on cricket’s biggest stage.
