T20 World Cup 2026 | England scrapes past Nepal in yet another final-over thriller

Greater than 17,000 spectators — a overwhelming majority draped in Nepal’s purple and blue — packed the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (February 8, 2026). When Lokesh Bam failed to seek out the boundary off the ultimate two deliveries, a palpable sense of ‘so close to, but thus far’ swept by means of the stands and throughout tv screens worldwide because the Englishmen held their nerve to scrape dwelling of their Males’s T20 World Cup opener.

With Nepal needing 10 off the final over, England medium pacer Sam Curran stored his composure to concede simply 5, proscribing Nepal to 180 for six — 4 runs wanting England’s 184 for seven. Had Lokesh (39 n.o., 20b, 4×4, 2×6) managed to attach cleanly even as soon as towards Curran’s intelligent variations, Nepal would have pulled off the primary upset of the event.

Nepal’s late surge had ignited hope earlier. Lokesh’s two lucky boundaries — thick edges flying both aspect of the wicket-keeper — off Curran within the seventeenth over injected perception into the chase. Nonetheless, with 46 wanted off 18 balls, England remained the agency favorite. That equation shifted dramatically when Lokesh adopted up with consecutive sixes — a lofted off-drive and a pull — as Jofra Archer’s 18th over yielded 22 runs.

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Lokesh then struck two boundaries off Luke Wooden within the penultimate over to carry Nepal inside touching distance. However Curran nailed his lengths within the last over, various his bounce well and permitting England to drag off an escape.

Earlier, England was steadied by a 71-run stand off 45 balls between Jacob Bethell (55, 35b, 4×4, 4×6) and captain Harry Brook (53, 32b, 4×4, 3×6) after three early wickets. A late cameo from Will Jacks (39 n.o., 18b, 1×4, 4×6), which helped England rating 33 within the last two overs, finally proved decisive in a contest England survived relatively than dominated.

The scores

England 184/7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 55, Harry Brook 53, Will Jacks 39 n.o., Dipendra Singh Airee 2/23, Nandan Yadav 2/25) bt Nepal 180/6 in 20 overs (Rohit Paudel 39, Dipendra 44, Lokesh Bam 39 n.o., Liam Dawson 2/21). Toss: England. PoM: Jacks.