T20 World Cup: Nepal’s Brave Fight Ends in Four-Run Loss to England

England survived a spirited Nepal fightback to begin their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a tense four-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

Asked to bat first, England posted a competitive 184/7, riding on half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook, before holding their nerve in the closing moments to deny Nepal a famous upset.

The innings began on a shaky note for the two-time champions as Phil Salt fell early, handing Sher Malla a wicket with the very first ball of his T20I career. Jos Buttler and Bethell steadied the scoring, but England soon found themselves under pressure at 57/3 after Buttler and Tom Banton departed in quick succession.

Bethell and Brook then rebuilt the innings with a composed 71-run partnership, balancing aggression with caution. Bethell struck 55 off 35 deliveries, registering his third T20I half-century, while Brook anchored the middle overs with a fluent 53 from 32 balls.

A late surge from Will Jacks, who hammered 39 off just 18 deliveries — including a punishing final over worth 21 runs — lifted England to a formidable total. For Nepal, Dipendra Singh Airee stood out with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 2/23.

Chasing 185, Nepal showed early intent, with Kushal Bhurtel taking on the new ball before England struck back through Liam Dawson and Will Jacks to reduce them to 42/2. Rather than retreat, Nepal responded with composure.

Captain Rohit Paudel and Airee produced a measured 82-run stand that kept the chase alive and gradually shifted pressure back on England. Airee fell agonisingly short of a half-century, dismissed by Sam Curran, but Nepal remained firmly in contention.

With 60 required from the final five overs and plenty of wickets in hand, the match hung in the balance. Paudel’s dismissal for 39 slowed the charge, yet Lokesh Bam injected fresh life into the chase with a fearless late assault.

Bam tore into England’s pace attack, striking successive boundaries and sixes in a dramatic 18th over that yielded 22 runs. He continued to attack in the penultimate over, leaving Nepal needing 10 from the final six balls.

Under immense pressure, Sam Curran delivered a nerveless final over, conceding just four runs from the first five deliveries. With six required off the last ball for a stunning victory, Bam could only manage a single, finishing unbeaten on a blistering 39 off 20 balls as England scraped through.

The narrow win gives England early momentum in Group C, but Nepal’s performance underlined their growing stature and ability to challenge established sides on the world stage.

England next face fellow two-time champions West Indies in their second group fixture on Wednesday, while Nepal will take confidence from a display that pushed one of the tournament favourites to the brink.

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