Mumbai: England got off to a winning start with a four-run win over Nepal in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 185, Nepal started strongly as openers Kushal Purdel and wicketkeeper Asif Sheikh set the tone with an aggressive stroke play. A 37-run partnership was broken when Shaikh fell for 7 runs off 9 balls, with Liam Dawson dismissed.
In the final over of the Powerplay, Purdell was dismissed for 29 off 17 balls with 4 fours and a six as Nepal scored 42 for 2 in 5.2 overs.
Captain Rohit Boutal and Dipendra Singh Airey anchored the innings and put together a 50-run partnership to take Nepal past 100 in 12 overs. Airey is poised for his 11th T20I half-century, troubling England’s bowlers with powerful strokes.
However, Sam Curran’s 44 off 29 balls with 6 fours and a six saw Airey bowled out for 82 runs.
Shortly after, Rohit Patel fell to Liam Dawson for 39 off 34 balls, including 2 fours and 2 sixes, as Nepal were reduced to 126 for 4 in 15.3 overs.
Nepal lost more momentum, with Arif Sheikh Jofra Archer caught for 10 runs including a six off 8 balls to lose 5 wickets.
Lokesh Bam fought back, hitting Archer for successive sixes to bring Nepal close, needing 24 off the last two overs.
In the 19th over, Mark Wood conceded 14 runs, but Gulson took the crucial wicket of Jha, with Nepal needing 10 runs off the last over.
Sam Curran bowled the last over, conceding five runs as Nepal collapsed. Lokesh Bam stood out for Nepal team with 39 runs off 20 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes.
Batting first, England were dismissed by Sher Malla on the first ball of the second over as opener Phil Salt was dismissed cheaply in two balls.
Wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethel anchored the innings, scoring at a brisk pace with free-flowing boundaries.
However, Nandan Yadav had other plans, dismissing Buttler for a crucial 26 off 17 balls, including 5 fours, as England reeled at 43-2 in 4.3 overs.
The pressure continued to mount as England lost Tom Panton on the first delivery of the seventh over, with Sandeep Lamichane out for 2 off five balls.
Bethel and captain Harry Brooke steadied the innings with a sensible partnership, Bethel bringing up his third T20I half-century to help the team cross the 100-run mark.
The duo put on 71 runs, which ended when Dipendra Singh Airey took the crucial wicket of Jacob Bethel.
Bethel finished his crucial innings with 55 off 35 balls with four fours and four sixes to take the team to 128-4 in 13.4 overs.
England were five wickets down when Ayre struck again with the wicket of Sam Curran. It was Irie’s second game and Curran was dismissed after scoring just two runs from eight balls.
Brook continued to pile on the runs for his side, passing the total of 150 and a deserved sixth T20I half-century.
However, after reaching his milestone, Nandan Yadav ended the captain’s heroic innings of 53 runs off 32 balls with four fours and three sixes.
Will Jacks remained unbeaten, scoring 39 off 18 balls with a four and 4 sixes, while Archer was run out in three balls.