Nepal had a tantalizing chance to pull off an astonishing upset against England at the T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Sunday, only to see it slip through their fingers agonisingly close. Despite star all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee and captain Rohit Paudel providing a rousing fightback with 82 runs from 54 balls, Nepal ultimately fell short by four runs as England emerged victorious.
The stage was set for a thriller when Lokesh Bam, the Nepalese hero of the match, burst into form, smashing back-to-back sixes off Jofra Archer to turn the momentum in his team's favour. With Nepal needing 10 runs from the last over, Bam took charge but it wasn't enough as he managed only one run off Sam Curran's last ball.
England had been struggling at 57-3 in their seventh over, with Sher Malla striking early to dismiss Phil Salt for just one, leaving Jos Buttler and Tom Banton to try and salvage the innings. However, both batsmen were dismissed soon after, putting England under immense pressure.
Enter Harry Brook, who combined with Jacob Bethell for a 71-run partnership to rebuild their innings. The young duo's 45-ball collaboration showed signs of life in the match, but it was too little, too late as Nepal managed to bridge the gap and put on the pressure.
Airee, along with Paudel, added another 82 runs from 54 balls, keeping England at bay until the very end. The stage had been set for a dramatic conclusion, but ultimately Nepal's hopes were dashed by the solitary run off Curran's final ball, leaving them to ponder what could have been.
The loss will be a bitter pill to swallow for Nepal fans, who had travelled in their thousands from across the border to cheer on their team. The Rhinos may feel they had the match in the bag at one stage but ultimately fell just short of pulling off an incredible upset against England.
The stage was set for a thriller when Lokesh Bam, the Nepalese hero of the match, burst into form, smashing back-to-back sixes off Jofra Archer to turn the momentum in his team's favour. With Nepal needing 10 runs from the last over, Bam took charge but it wasn't enough as he managed only one run off Sam Curran's last ball.
England had been struggling at 57-3 in their seventh over, with Sher Malla striking early to dismiss Phil Salt for just one, leaving Jos Buttler and Tom Banton to try and salvage the innings. However, both batsmen were dismissed soon after, putting England under immense pressure.
Enter Harry Brook, who combined with Jacob Bethell for a 71-run partnership to rebuild their innings. The young duo's 45-ball collaboration showed signs of life in the match, but it was too little, too late as Nepal managed to bridge the gap and put on the pressure.
Airee, along with Paudel, added another 82 runs from 54 balls, keeping England at bay until the very end. The stage had been set for a dramatic conclusion, but ultimately Nepal's hopes were dashed by the solitary run off Curran's final ball, leaving them to ponder what could have been.
The loss will be a bitter pill to swallow for Nepal fans, who had travelled in their thousands from across the border to cheer on their team. The Rhinos may feel they had the match in the bag at one stage but ultimately fell just short of pulling off an incredible upset against England.
what a game!!! i was literally on the edge of my seat watching this! so nepal was like down and out, but those guys never gave up. bam's 2 sixes in a row were insane 
and then they're like "oh we got this" only to have it slip through their fingers at the end 
. i feel bad for the fans who travelled all that way for nothing 
. i mean, england was struggling but bam's comeback was so inspiring! what do u think? would've been nice to see nepal pull off an upset 
but ENGLAND JUST HAD TOO MUCH FIREPOWER!!! lokesh bam's 6s were the turning point in the match and i thought for sure they had it in the bag 
but sam curran's final ball was just the cruel mistress, couldn't believe it 
anyhoo, congrats to england on their win but SO SAD FOR NEPAL FANS!!! 
i mean, 82 runs from 54 balls is no joke! it's like they were trying to will that win with their bats, but sometimes just isn't our day 
smashing those sixes left and right, you could feel the energy in the stadium. but then that one run off sam curran's last ball and it's like, what if? 
what could've been for nepal fans who traveled all the way from india to support their team 
️ Nepal played so amazingly well, and it's gotta be super tough to swallow a loss like that 
and dipendra singh airee's 82 runs from just 54 balls? insane! 
. and what a story for harry brook & jacob bethell coming in and changing the game 
. Nepal will be back stronger tho 
, we all believe in them 
! bam's back-to-back sixes were insane 
. but sadly it wasn't meant to be 
. hope they bounce back stronger from this, the rhinos are still fierce 
!
Lokesh Bam's sixes were 
- they should be super proud of themselves! 
.
. The team really fought hard, and Airee and Paudel were on fire 
and gave 'em a run for their money 
lokesh bam was on fire 
. and let's be real, 82 runs from 54 balls by airee & paudel? that's insane 
& that last ball off sam curran tho 
anyway, what do you guys think went wrong for nepal in the end? did they underestimate england's depth or did they just have a bad day at the office? 
. and airee and paudel's fightback was clutch, 82 runs in 54 balls is crazy 
!
. It was a thrilling match, but unfortunately, England's young duo of Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell just couldn't make up for their previous struggles