In the 2026 T20 World Cup match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Nepal struggled to a total of 123 runs, bowled out in just 19.3 overs against Italy. After opting to bat first, opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel managed a mere five runs off 10 balls, hitting one boundary. His partner, Aasif Sheikh, contributed 20 runs from 20 deliveries, including two fours. Skipper Rohit Paudel led with 23 runs off 14 balls, featuring two sixes. Dipendra Singh Airee added 17 runs after facing 18 balls, while Aarif Sheikh scored 27 runs from 24 balls, hitting three boundaries. Lokesh Bam and Gulsan Jha each fell for three runs, and Nandan Yadav was dismissed without scoring. Sandeep Lamichhane managed five runs in seven balls, and Lalit Rajbanshi also went without scoring. Karan KC ended unbeaten on 18 runs from 11 balls, hitting one four and one six. Italy’s Crishan Kalugamage was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for just 18 runs in four overs. Benjamin Maneti supported him with two wickets for only nine runs, while Ali Hasan, JJ Smuts, and Jaspreet Singh each claimed one wicket. Grant Stewart finished wicketless in the match. Prior to the match, enthusiastic fans of the Nepal cricket team gathered outside the iconic Wankhede Stadium, hoping to witness their team secure its first victory in the T20 World Cup 2026. Italy will be counting on Benjamin Manenti to repeat his impressive performance from their previous match against Scotland, where he scored 52 runs off 31 balls, including five boundaries and a six. In the current Group C standings, Nepal sits in fourth place after one loss, with a net run rate of -0.200, while Italy finds itself at the bottom with an NRR of -3.650.
