With an inspired display of bowling and fielding, Nepal tasted their first-ever victory over a full ICC member nation.
This series was already a milestone for Nepal, and they made it unforgettable with a stunning win in the opening game. Defending a modest total, the Associate nation outplayed two-time T20 world champions West Indies to claim a famous victory.
On Saturday in Sharjah, Nepal beat West Indies by 19 runs in the first T20I of the three-match series. They set a target of 148 and restricted West Indies to 129.
This was Nepal’s first win against any ICC full member team in any format — and it came in the very first match of their first-ever bilateral series against one.
Cricket West Indies had billed this series as “historic,” but the Caribbean side fell victim to an upset right from the start.
With a Test series ahead in India, West Indies are not playing at full strength. Spinner Akeal Hosein is captaining a relatively new-look team for the first time, with four debutants in the opening match. But that does not diminish Nepal’s achievement, which came under the guidance of their coach, former Bangladesh head coach Stuart Law.
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel led from the front and was the hero of the win. He top-scored with 38 off 35 balls and also took a wicket for 20 runs in his three overs, earning the Player of the Match award.
Despite the dream ending, Nepal’s start was a nightmare. After losing the toss and being sent in, they were 12 for 2 early on. Rohit and Kushal Malla steadied the innings with a 59-run stand off 45 balls.
Debutant leg-spinning all-rounder Navin Bideysi dismissed both set batters in back-to-back overs. Malla made 30 off 21 with two fours and two sixes, while Rohit struck 38 with three fours and one six.
Late contributions from Gulshan Jha (22 off 16) and Dipendra Singh Airee (17 off 19) pushed Nepal close to 150.
Jason Holder was West Indies’ most successful bowler, taking 4 wickets for 20 runs, including 3 in one over. Bideysi took 3 wickets.
In the chase, West Indies kept losing wickets regularly. Kyle Mayers was run out by a direct throw from Kushal Bhurtel in the second over. Debutant Akeem Auguste hit two sixes but couldn’t build on it, scoring 15 off 7.
Jewel Andrew managed just 5 off 11, while Amir Jangu scored 19 off 22 on debut. After Casey Carty’s run-out and Holder’s quick dismissal, the scoreboard read 76 for 6.
Bideysi (22) helped take them near 100. Fabian Allen (19 off 14) survived a catch on a ‘no’ ball but couldn’t push further, while Akeal Hosein made 18 off 9.
West Indies needed 30 runs from the last two overs. Karan KC bowled a brilliant 19th over, conceding just 2 and dismissing Akeal. In the final over, Allen hit two fours before being caught on the boundary off the last ball. Bhurtel completed a spectacular catch at the ropes. Nepal’s fielding was outstanding throughout.
Before this, Nepal had played only one international match against West Indies — losing by 101 runs in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers in Harare. This time, they earned a victory they will never forget.
Rohit and Bhurtel’s men will now look to clinch the series when they take the field in the second T20I on Monday.
Brief Scores
- Nepal: 148/8 in 20 overs (Bhurtel 6, Asif 3, Rohit 38, Malla 30, Jha 22, Dipendra 17, Jora 9, Kami 6*, Karan 0, Nandan 7*; Akeal 4-0-18-1, Holder 4-0-20-4, Symonds 2-0-25-0, Allen 2-0-19-0, McCoy 4-0-37-0, Bideysi 4-0-29-3)
- West Indies: 129/9 in 20 overs (Mayers 5, Jangu 19, Auguste 15, Andrew 5, Carty 16, Bideysi 22, Holder 5, Allen 19, Akeal 18, McCoy 0*; Dipendra 3-0-20-1, Karan 3-0-17-1, Nandan 1-0-6-1, Kami 4-0-43-0, Rajbanshi 2-0-6-1, Rohit 3-0-20-1, Bhurtel 4-0-17-2)
Result: Nepal won by 19 runs
Series: Nepal lead the 3-match series 1-0
Player of the Match: Rohit Paudel
