Nepal stuns WI to script first T20I win over full member

Nepal created history in Sharjah by defeating two-time T20 World Cup champions West Indies by 19 runs in a thrilling encounter.

This victory marked Nepal's first-ever win against a Full Member team in international T20 cricket. While Nepal had previously secured a win over Afghanistan in 2014, Afghanistan was then an Associate Member, making this achievement even more significant.

This match also marked the beginning of Nepal's first bilateral series against West Indies, and they made sure to make the day memorable by toppling the World Cup winners in the series opener.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, West Indies initially put pressure on Nepal.
However, the Nepali side gradually took control of the match. The early loss of two openers in the first 3.1 overs put them on the back foot. Despite hitting only two boundaries during the powerplay, the partnership between captain Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla helped steady the ship. The duo put together a 58-run stand off 70 balls, which allowed Nepal to regroup. Malla's aggressive strokeplay, including some big hits, helped Nepal reach 68/2 after 10 overs.

Although wickets began to fall in the final overs due to the efforts of West Indies' bowlers, including the devastating spells from Odean Smith and Jason Holder, Nepal fought back strongly. Contributions from Gulshan Jha and Dipendra Singh Airee ensured that they managed to post a total of 148/8.

Chasing 149 to win, West Indies’ innings faltered right from the start. Kyle Mayers hit a boundary off the first ball, but that was as good as it got for the Caribbean side. Nepal's spinners bowled with excellent control, and regular wickets kept falling. Key moments came with brilliant fielding by Rohit Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, and Dipendra Singh Airee, who combined to run out West Indies’ batsmen.

With 70 runs required off the final five overs, West Indies still could not gain control, despite a couple of lucky reprieves for Akeal Hosein. In the final over, Fabian Allen needed 28 runs to pull off an improbable win, but no miracle came. Nepal held their nerve and sealed a 19-run victory, delivering one of the biggest wins in their cricketing history.