-Nepal won by 19 runs
Sharjah/Patiala, 28 September (Sports Desk)
In a historic upset, Nepal secured their first-ever T20I victory against a Full Member nation by defeating West Indies by 19 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Batting first on a tricky pitch offering turn and variable bounce, Nepal recovered from an early collapse to post 148/8, thanks to Kushal Bhurtel’s all-round brilliance (47 off 37 and 3/21). West Indies, led by a second-string squad under stand-in captain Akeal Hosein (four debutants), crumbled under pressure, managing only 129/9 despite a gritty half-century from Fabian Allen (51 off 32). This marks Nepal’s maiden bilateral series win opener against a Test nation and West Indies’ fourth T20I loss to an Associate side. Nepal lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second T20I scheduled for September 29 in Sharjah.
The match highlighted Nepal’s growing prowess, echoing their near-upset against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Bhurtel was named Player of the Match for his match-winning contributions.
Toss and Playing XIs
- Toss: West Indies won and elected to field first (anticipating dew in the second innings and a pitch favoring chase).
- Nepal XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Tony Ura, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Lalit Rajbanshi, Abinash Bohara. (Reserves: Anil Sah, Mohammad Aadil Alam – recalled for the series after strong domestic form.)
- West Indies XI: Kyle Mayers, Jewel Andrew, Amir Jangoo (wk/debut), Ackeem Auguste (debut), Fabian Allen, Shimron Hetmyer (unavailable; rested for T20 WC prep), Akeal Hosein (c), Gudakesh Motie (rested), Romario Shepherd (rested), Sherfane Rutherford (rested), Rovman Powell (rested). Full squad: Jewel Andrew, Ackeem Auguste (debut), Fabian Allen, Amir Jangoo (wk/debut), Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie (rested), Akeal Hosein (c), Sherfane Rutherford (rested), Romario Shepherd (rested), Rovman Powell (rested), Hayden Walsh Jr., Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves (debut), Ashmead Nedd (debut). (Note: WI fielded an inexperienced side with four debutants, focusing on T20 World Cup squad depth ahead of the 2026 edition.)
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Nepal Innings: 148/8 (20 overs)
Nepal slumped to 21/3 inside the powerplay on a two-paced pitch, but Bhurtel’s composed knock and quick cameos from Airee (25 off 16) and Malla (18 off 10) rebuilt the innings. They accelerated in the death, adding 42 runs in the last five overs despite losing wickets. WI’s spinners, led by Hosein (2/24), kept things tight, but sloppiness in the field cost them 10 extras.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushal Bhurtel | c Jangoo b Hosein | 47 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 127.03 |
| Tony Ura | b Forde | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Aasif Sheikh (wk) | c Mayers b Walsh Jr. | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 122.22 |
| Rohit Paudel (c) | c Auguste b Hosein | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | c Andrew b Nedd | 25 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 156.25 |
| Kushal Malla | c Mayers b Allen | 18 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 180.00 |
| Gulsan Jha | run out (Hosein) | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 112.50 |
| Karan KC | c Jangoo b Forde | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Sompal Kami | not out | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 183.33 |
| Lalit Rajbanshi | not out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | (lb 3, w 7) | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 148/8 (20 overs) | 11 | 5 | 7.40 RPO |
- Fall of Wickets: 1-1 (Ura, 0.3 ov), 2-18 (Sheikh, 3.1 ov), 3-21 (Paudel, 4.5 ov), 4-61 (Airee, 11.2 ov), 5-88 (Malla, 14.1 ov), 6-111 (Jha, 16.5 ov), 7-124 (Karan KC, 18.2 ov), 8-138 (Bhurtel, 19.3 ov).
- Key Highlights: Powerplay: 35/2. Bhurtel’s 47 anchored the recovery; death overs yielded 42/3. Lowest total successfully defended by Nepal in T20Is: 148/8 (previously 149/8 vs Hong Kong, 2014 WC).
- West Indies Bowling:
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Econ Matthew Forde 4 0 29 2 7.25 Akeal Hosein (c) 4 0 24 2 6.00 Hayden Walsh Jr. 4 0 31 1 7.75 Ashmead Nedd 4 0 28 1 7.00 Fabian Allen 2 0 18 1 9.00 Justin Greaves 2 0 15 0 7.50
West Indies Innings: 129/9 (20 overs, target 149)
WI started aggressively with 24/0 in the powerplay, but Nepal’s spinners—led by Bhurtel (3/21)—triggered a collapse, taking 5/29 in the middle overs. Allen’s counter-attacking 51 revived hopes, but Nepal’s death bowling (Kami 2/23) sealed the deal. Debutant Navin Bidaisee bizarrely hit wicket on nought, becoming the second in T20I history. WI needed 28 off the last over but managed only 8.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Mayers | run out (Bhurtel) | 14 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 127.27 |
| Jewel Andrew | c Paudel b Rajbanshi | 18 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Amir Jangoo (wk) | c Ura b Bhurtel | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Ackeem Auguste | b Malla | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Fabian Allen | c Sheikh b Kami | 51 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 159.38 |
| Justin Greaves | c Airee b Bhurtel | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Akeal Hosein (c) | c Paudel b Karan KC | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Navin Bidaisee | hit wicket b Kami | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Hayden Walsh Jr. | not out | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 88.89 |
| Matthew Forde | c Malla b Bohara | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Ashmead Nedd | not out | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Extras | (lb 3, w 4) | 7 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 129/9 (20 overs) | 8 | 3 | 6.45 RPO |
- Fall of Wickets: 1-24 (Mayers, 3.2 ov), 2-43 (Andrew, 5.4 ov), 3-49 (Jangoo, 7.1 ov), 4-54 (Auguste, 8.3 ov), 5-68 (Greaves, 10.2 ov), 6-105 (Hosein, 15.1 ov), 7-105 (Bidaisee, 15.2 ov), 8-121 (Allen, 17.5 ov), 9-126 (Forde, 18.3 ov).
- Key Highlights: Powerplay: 24/1. Allen’s 51 came off 32 (3×4, 3×6), including two dropped chances in the 18th over (went for 10 runs). Nepal’s fielding shone with Bhurtel’s direct-hit run-out of Mayers.
- Nepal Bowling:
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Econ Sompal Kami 4 0 23 2 5.75 Kushal Bhurtel 4 0 21 3 5.25 Karan KC 4 0 25 1 6.25 Lalit Rajbanshi 4 0 26 1 6.50 Abinash Bohara 2 0 19 1 9.50 Kushal Malla 2 0 11 1 5.50
Match Context and Key Notes
- Series Impact: Nepal 1-0 up in the three-match series (next: Sep 29, 30 in Sharjah). WI’s depleted squad (key players rested for T20 WC prep) faces pressure to bounce back; this is their first bilateral against Nepal.
- Milestones: Nepal’s first T20I win vs Full Member (8th attempt; prior: vs Afghanistan 2014 as Associate). WI’s 4th T20I loss to Associate (prev: Ireland 2014, Afghanistan 2016, Scotland 2022). Bhurtel’s all-round show: 3rd T20I five-for by a Nepali. Bidaisee’s hit-wicket on debut: 2nd in T20I history.
- Post-Match Buzz: Nepal captain Rohit Paudel: “Proud moment; we backed our strengths.” WI captain Hosein: “Inexperienced errors; need to regroup.” X erupted with “Nepal rising!” posts, trending #NEPvWI globally. Bhurtel: “Historic win; credit to bowlers—140-150 was enough vs this WI side.”
