Jason Holder stood up and be counted as he picked up crucial wickets in powerplay and end overs to keep Nepal down to 133/8 in 20 overs. It was a great bowling display by West Indies but Nepal through Dipendra Singh Airee’s half-century has made sure that they get to 130+ which is paltry but a lot better considering they were 73/6 in 15 overs. So, advantage West Indies, but the bowlers have something to bowl at we can say.
West Indies strikes thrice to rattle Nepal in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh came out to open for Nepal while Akeal Hosein had ball in hand for West Indies. Hosein struck early as he cleaned up Bhurtel for 1 off 3 balls. Captain Rohit Paudel came out to bat next. Matthew Forde came out to bat next. Aasif broke the shackles as he hung back and pulled it in front of midwicket for a boundary. Hosein continued as Paudel paddled it away past fine leg for a boundary. Sheikh backed away and lofted it over covers for a boundary.
Forde continued and he got rid of Paudel 5 off 7 balls with one boundary to his name as he was adjudged in front LBW. The DRS was taken and it was umpire’s call on hitting wickets and so the review was retained. Dipendra Singh Airee came out to bat next. Forde bowled a wicket maiden over.
Jason Holder came into the attack next. Holder got rid of Sheikh with a pick up shot to deep square leg region as he fell for 11 off 10 balls with 2 fours to his name. Aarif Sheikh came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Forde came to bowl the final over of powerplay and he bowled a good over. Nepal were 22/3 in 6 overs with Aarif unbeaten on 2 off 6 balls while Airee was unbeaten on 3 off 10 balls. The powerplay overs were done and we paused for the Drinks.
West Indies chip away at the wickets to keep Nepal under pressure in middle phase of the game.Â
Jason Holder continued after the break. He struck again as he removed Aarif for 2 off 8 balls as the high ball was taken by the fielder in the deep. Lokesh Bam came out to bat next. Forde continued to bowl out. He bowled another good over and finished his spell of 1/10 in 4 overs. Shamar Joseph came into the attack as well. Airee broke the shackles as he cut the short ball past deep third man for a boundary.
Gudakesh Motie came onto bowl next. Lokesh looked to sweep the bowler and got a top edge that flew over the keeper for a boundary. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game, Nepal were 42/4. Joseph continued as Bam flashed at it and got the outside edge to the deep third man fence for a boundary. Shamar hit back and got rid of Bam caught down the leg side for 13 off 15 balls with 2 fours to his name. Gulshan Jha came to the crease next.
Motie continued as Airee took him on by going down the track and tonked it down the ground for the maximum. The 50 came up for Nepal in 11.2 overs. Roston Chase came into the attack next and he bowled a decent over. Hosein continued as Jha took him on and slog swept over deep midwicket for the maximum. Nepal were 68/5 in 14 overs when we paused for another Drinks Break.
Roston Chase came to bowl the 15th over after the break. He got rid of Gha by cleaning him up neck and crop for 11 off 14 balls with one six to his name. Sompal Kami came out to bat next. At the completion of 15 overs, Nepal were struggling at 73/6 with Airee unbeaten on 27 off 33 balls and Kami yet to face a ball.
Dipendra Singh Airee & Sompal Kami helps Nepal recover and finish with 133/8 in 20 overs.Â
Akeal Hosein came back into the attack. Airee manufactured room and slapped it to deep backward point for a boundary. Hosein finished his spell as well. Shamar Joseph came back into the attack. Kami hammered the ball down the ground over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Airee thumped the ball over mid-off for a boundary. Holder continued as Kami smashed it over wide mid-off for a boundary. Kami stood tall and thumped it away over extra covers for a boundary. The 100 came up for Nepal in 17.4 overs. Kami made it a hat-trick of boundaries by crunching the ball through covers for a boundary.
Joseph came to bowl the 19th over. Airee took him on as he cut the ball away over deep third man for the maximum. Airee brought up his fifty off 44 balls as he held the innings together. Airee pulled the ball hard over midwicket for the maximum. 18 came off the over. Holder came to bowl the final over of the innings. He dismissed Airee for 58 off 47 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he was holed out in the deep at long-on. Karan KC came out to bat next.
There was a no ball bowled as well but the free hit yielded a single. Karan KC fell off the last ball of the innings for 1 off 2 balls as the ball was mistimed up in the air as the catch was taken by Forde at long-off. Kami remained unbeaten on 26 off 15 balls with 4 fours to his name as Nepal finished with 133/8 in 20 overs. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/27 in 4 overs. Matthew Forde was brilliant with his 1/10 in 4 overs. Akeal Hosein finished with 1/30 in 4 overs. Shamar Joseph finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Roston Chase finished with 1/10 in 2 overs. Gudakesh Motie finished with 0/17 in 2 overs. So, West Indies need 134 runs to win and make it 3 wins out of 3 games.
Who’s Winning, West Indies or Nepal?Â
Despite a brilliant fightback in last 5 overs by Nepal, West Indies still hold the upper hand. The Men in Maroon bats deep and have a tremendous batting line-up. So, 134 should not be too much of a problem. Nepal needs early wickets to make a match out of this. Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: West Indies All Over Nepal In First Half Of The Game.