Lokesh Bam kept Nepal’s hope alive but Sam Curran ensured England secured a thrilling victory to kick off their T20 World Cup campaign.
Published: February 9, 2026 1:07 AM IST
T20 World Cup 2026: Nepal was very close to achieving the biggest win in their sporting history, but they fell just four runs short while chasing 185 against England in Mumbai. After Lokesh Bam’s late onslaught, they needed 13 runs from the final nine balls, but a composed five-run final over from Sam Curran allowed England to breathe a huge sigh of relief and start their T20 World Cup campaign with a victory.
England climb to second place on the Group C points table
With the win, England climb to second place on the Group C points table, while West Indies, who defeated Scotland, hold the top spot thanks to a superior net run rate.
Chasing a challenging total, set after impressive half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook, Nepal began aggressively. Kushal Bhurtel set the tone with three boundaries in four balls off Jofra Archer, before Dipendra Singh Airee and Rohit Paudel stitched a superb 82-run partnership off 54 balls, leaving Nepal requiring 62 runs from the final six overs.
Lokesh Bam kept Nepal’s hope alive
When both Paudel and Airee were removed, the match seemed all but over. But Bam kept Nepal’s hopes alive, hitting consecutive boundaries off Curran and then sending Archer for two towering sixes. Luke Wood’s 19th over leaked 14 runs as Bam slashed two more boundaries, leaving ten runs needed off the last over and sending thousands of Nepalese fans in Mumbai into raptures.
However, Curran executed his yorkers to perfection at the death, leaving Bam needing a boundary off the final ball. He could only toe-end it to deep extra cover, handing England a thrilling win. It was another heartbreak for Nepal, following their one-run loss to South Africa in the 2024 edition, but they pushed England, the two-time T20 World Cup champions, to the brink.
Will Jacks was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, dismissing Bhurtel and scoring 39 not out from No. 7, including three sixes in the final over to boost England’s innings. The contrasting fortunes were stark, and Paudel might have rued his decision to turn back to seamers at the death, leaving Airee’s effective fourth over unused.
Check Group C points table after England vs Nepal in T20 World Cup 2026 HERE…
| Teams | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | NRR |
| West Indies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.750 |
| England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +0.200 |
| Nepal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.200 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.750 |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
“The whole of Nepal came here to support us,” Paudel said after a heart-breaking defeat. “It’s great to see them here and that motivates us: when we went to the ground, we carry your hopes, we carry your belief. Today, we gave everything, and all of Nepal will be very proud of us.”
(Group C Points table updated till England vs Nepal T20 World Cup 226 match)
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.india.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/<!–</–>
Also Read:
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: india.com
