In a thrilling encounter at Wankhede Stadium, Nepal scripted history by securing their maiden T20 World Cup victory, demolishing Scotland by 7 wickets. Both teams had already been eliminated from title contention, turning the match into a battle for pride. Nepal ended their long winless streak in style on Tuesday.
Scotland, invited to bat first after losing the toss, posted a competitive 170 for 7 in their 20 overs. Openers George Munsey and Michael Jones laid a solid foundation with an 80-run stand in the first 10 overs. Munsey fell for 27 off 29 balls, featuring four boundaries, before Jones anchored the innings.
Jones smashed a magnificent 71 off 45 balls, laced with 8 fours and 3 sixes, partnering with Brandon McMullen for 52 runs. McMullen contributed 25, while Mark Watt added 10. Nepal’s Sompal Kami starred with 3 wickets, supported by Nandan Yadav’s 2, and single scalps from Rohit Paudel and Kushal Bhurtel.
Chasing 171, Nepal raced home in 19.2 overs. Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh opened with a brisk 74-run partnership in 9.1 overs. Bhurtel departed for 43 off 35 balls (1 four, 4 sixes), and Sheikh made 33 off 27 (2 sixes). At 98 for 3, Gulshan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee unleashed mayhem.
The duo forged an unbeaten 73-run stand off 36 balls, steering Nepal to victory. Airee remained not out on a blistering 50 off 23 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes), while Jha was unbeaten on 24 off 17. Michael Leask claimed all three Nepali wickets.
This triumph marks a significant milestone for Nepal in international cricket, boosting morale ahead of future challenges. Fans erupted in joy as their team finally broke the jinx in the T20 World Cup format.