T20 WC: Nepal end campaign with historic win over Scotland
What's the story
Nepal have registered a historic victory against Scotland in their last match in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. The match, held at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, witnessed Nepal chase down a target of 171 runs with two balls to spare. Dipendra Singh Airee was the hero of Nepal as he hammered a breathtaking fifty. This win marks Nepal's first-ever victory over Scotland in T20 World Cups and their third overall in the tournament's history.
Run chase
Airee, Jha power Nepal to successful chase
As mentioned Nepal's successful chase was powered by a blistering 50* off just 23 balls from Dipendra. Gulshan Jha (24 off 17) also played a key role, contributing significantly to the chase. The pair put together a match-winning partnership of 66 runs in just five overs, helping their team secure the victory with two balls to spare. Earlier in the innings, openers Kushal Bhurtel (43 off 35) and Aasif Sheikh (33 off 27) added 74 runs.
Scotland innings
Scotland posted a strong total
Scotland batted first and set a challenging total of 170/7. Openers George Munsey and Michael Jones gave them a solid start with an 80-run partnership. After Munsey departed for 27 off 29 balls, Jones further added 52 runs with Brandon McMullen (25 off 19). However, after Jones's departure for 71 runs, the Scottish innings lost momentum as other batsmen failed to capitalize on the good start.
Captain's statement
Rohit Paudel praises team after historic win
After the match, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel praised his team's resilience and thanked the Wankhede crowd for their support. Meanwhile, this game was a dead rubber as both teams were already knocked out from the Super 8 race. Both Nepal and Scotland ended their respective campaigns with a solitary win from four matches.
Jones
Second T20I fifty for Jones
Jones scored a brilliant 71 off just 45 deliveries, hitting eight fours and three sixes in an entertaining knock. This was his second T20I fifty, which took his tally to 366 runs from 15 matches at 26.14 (SR: 138.63). His previous scores in the ongoing tourney read 33, 37, and 1. Overall, in the 20-over format, the opener has completed 1,452 from 73 matches at 24.61 (50s: 4).
Bowling performance
Kami shines with the ball
Nepal's bowling unit, led by Sompal Kami, put up a stellar show in the middle overs. Kami picked up three wickets and bowled economically (3/25 in 4 overs), taking his T20I tally to 84 wickets at 23.46 (ER: 7.16). Nandan Yadav (2/34 in 4 overs) also dismissed a couple of batters. He now boasts 20 T20I scalps at 17.45 (ER: 7.61). Skipper Rohit Paudel (1/12 in 2 overs) and Kushal Bhurtel (1/37 in 4 overs) made one strike each.
Dipendra
Second fifty of the edition for Dipendra
Dipendra's 23-ball 50* was laced with four fours and three sixes. Nepal's highest run-getter in the format, Dipendra has now raced to 2,125 runs from 94 matches at an average of 33.20. His strike is 139.52 as the tally now includes 12 fifties and a hundred. Having made a 47-ball 58 vs West Indies, Dipendra became the first Nepal batter with multiple T20 WC fifties. He finished the 2026 edition with 169 runs from four games at 56.33 (SR: 144.44).
Information
43 runs for Bhurtel
While Dipendra got to his fifty, Bhurtel missed out. The opener made 43 off 35 balls with the help of four sixes and a four. He is Nepal's second-highest run-getter in T20Is - 1,885 runs at 28.56 (100: 1, 50s: 13).
Leask
Another three-fer for Leask
All three fallen Nepal wickets in the game belonged to off-spinner Michael Leask, who went for 30 runs in his four overs. Earlier in the tourney, he also tallied a four-fer against Italy. Leask ended his campaign with nine wickets from four games at 13.55 (ER: 7.62). Overall, he has raced to 59 scalps from 78 T20I games at 20.33, as per ESPNcricinfo. His economy is a decent 7.57.