Nepal celebrated a landmark moment in T20 World Cup history, thrashing Scotland by 7 wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. With both sides out of semifinal hopes, the fixture was all about honor—and Nepal claimed it emphatically, registering their first-ever win in the tournament on Tuesday.
Scotland batted first after losing the toss and managed 170/7. The explosive opening pair of Michael Jones and George Munsey rattled up 80 runs in 10 overs. Munsey scored 27 (29 balls, 4×4), setting the tone before Jones dominated with 71 (45 balls, 8×4, 3×6), adding 52 with McMullen (25).
Mark Watt chipped in 10, but Nepal’s bowlers struck back. Sompal Kami’s 3/?? led the charge, with Nandan Yadav grabbing 2, and Paudel and Bhurtel one each. The total looked defendable on a good batting track.
Nepal’s chase was powered by openers Kushal Bhurtel (43 off 35, 1×4, 4×6) and Aasif Sheikh (33 off 27, 2×6), who piled 74 in 9.1 overs. Losing 3 for 98 brought tension, but Gulshan Jha (24* off 17) and Dipendra Singh Airee (50* off 23, 4×4, 3×6) turned it around with a match-winning 73-run partnership off 36 balls.
Michael Leask took 3 wickets for Scotland, but it wasn’t enough. Nepal crossed the line in 19.2 overs, igniting celebrations. This victory not only ends a drought but signals Nepal’s growing prowess on the global stage, with Airee’s fireworks stealing the show.