England vs Nepal – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: 2nd Innings Match Report
England survived one of the most significant scares in their T20 history, edging out a fearless Nepal side by just 4 runs in a last-ball thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 185, Nepal’s brave assault on the English bowling attack—particularly their dismantling of world-class spin—sent shockwaves through the tournament. Ultimately, it took a nerveless final over from Sam Curran to prevent a historic upset and secure England’s first points of the campaign.
Nepal’s chase began with blistering intent as Kushal Bhurtel (29 off 17) took the fight to the England pacers, racing to 31 without loss in just three overs. However, England’s spin twins, Liam Dawson and Will Jacks, momentarily silenced the raucous Nepalese fans by removing both openers in the powerplay. Dawson, who proved to be the most economical bowler of the night with figures of 2 for 21, deceived Aasif Sheikh (7) with a beautiful flighted delivery, while Jacks dismissed the dangerous Bhurtel to leave Nepal at 47 for 2 after six overs.
The match entered its most fascinating phase as captain Rohit Paudel (39 off 34) and Dipendra Singh Airee (44 off 29) launched a calculated assault on England's premier leg-spinner, Adil Rashid. In a rare sight, Rashid was taken for 42 runs in just 3 overs without a wicket, as the Nepalese pair used their feet brilliantly to clear the ropes. By the 14th over, Nepal had crossed the 100-mark and the win probability was swinging wildly in their favor. It took a crucial intervention from Sam Curran, who removed Airee, followed by Dawson dismissing Paudel, to bring England back into the contest.
Just as England thought they had tightened their grip, Lokesh Bam played a knock for the ages. Coming in at number six, Bam launched a breathtaking blitz, smashing 39 off just 20 balls. He targeted Jofra Archer and Luke Wood, hitting three massive sixes in the 18th and 19th overs to bring the equation down to 10 runs needed off the final over. The Wankhede Stadium was on its feet as the underdog nation stood on the doorstep of immortality, needing just two boundaries to seal the win.
The responsibility fell to Sam Curran for the final six balls. With ice in his veins, Curran nailed three consecutive yorkers, conceding only singles and leaving Bam needing a six off the final delivery to win. Under immense pressure, Curran delivered a low full toss that Bam could only drive to long-off for a single. As the final ball landed, Bam dropped to his haunches in devastation while the England players celebrated with visible relief. England secured the 4-run win, but Nepal walked away with the respect of the entire cricketing world after pushing the champions to the absolute brink.
Follow ENG vs NPL live score, updates, and full match coverage on CricCatch.*