In a historic moment for Nepalese cricket, the team clinched a commanding seven-wicket victory over Scotland in the 33rd match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium. This triumph marks the end of a staggering 4,352-day wait for a World Cup win, dating back to their last success against Afghanistan on March 20, 2014.
Nepal’s bowlers set the tone early, restricting Scotland to 170 for seven in their 20 overs. Sompal Kami led the charge with a brilliant three-wicket haul for just 25 runs, supported by Nandan Yadav’s two wickets. Rohit Paudel and Kushal Bhurtel chipped in with one each, keeping the Scottish batsmen under constant pressure.
Michael Jones top-scored for Scotland with a fiery 71 off 45 balls, smashing three sixes and eight fours. George Munsey added 27, while Brandon McMullen contributed 25, but Nepal’s disciplined bowling ensured no further partnerships flourished.
Chasing 171, Nepal’s openers Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh laid a solid foundation with a 74-run stand in 9.1 overs. Bhurtel smashed 43 before falling, while Sheikh made 33. After losing a couple more wickets at 98 for three, Gulshan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee steadied the ship with an unbeaten 73-run partnership off 36 balls, steering Nepal home in 19.2 overs.
This victory is Nepal’s third in T20 World Cup history across 10 matches, with their previous two coming in 2014 against Hong Kong and Afghanistan. It surpasses the longest gap between wins held by Ireland (2,770 days), followed by Zimbabwe and Netherlands.
Nepal’s resurgence signals growing confidence in associate nations, proving they can compete with established teams on the global stage. Fans erupted in joy, hailing this as a new chapter in their cricketing journey.