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Kathmandu, Feb 16: Nepal’s men’s cricket team crashed out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the group stage after a third straight defeat. West Indies handed Nepal a comfortable nine-wicket loss at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Batting first after losing the toss, Nepal managed only 133 for eight in the allotted 20 overs. West Indies chased the target with ease, reaching the total in 15.2 overs for the loss of just one wicket. Captain Shai Hope led the charge with an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls, striking five fours and three sixes. Shimron Hetmyer remained not out on 46, while Brandon King added 22. Nandan Yadav took Nepal’s lone wicket.

For Nepal, Dipendra Singh Airee top-scored with 58 off 47 balls, hitting three fours and one six. Sompal Kami stayed unbeaten on 26, Lokesh Bam made 13, and both Asif Sheikh and Gulshan Jha scored 11 each. West Indies bowler Jason Holder starred with four wickets, while Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph, and Roston Chase picked up one apiece.

The defeat leaves Nepal winless in Group C. Earlier, the team had suffered a four-run loss to England and a ten-wicket defeat to Italy. In contrast, the West Indies secured their third straight win, collecting six points to book a place in the Super Eight. They had previously beaten Scotland by 25 runs and England by 30 runs.

Despite the setback, Airee provided a bright spot by scoring Nepal’s first T20 World Cup half-century in 12 years. The previous fifty for Nepal in the tournament came from Subash Khakurel in the 2014 edition.

Former head coach Monty Desai expressed confidence in Nepal cricket’s future, saying the team must now focus on turning participation into victories. He credited the unwavering support of Nepali fans as a constant source of motivation.

People’s News Monitoring Service