England’s Adil Rashid, right, congratulates Nepal’s Lokesh Bam, center, and Karan KC (PTI Photo) Former India batsman Aakash Chopra has strongly backed Nepal’s rapid rise in international cricket, calling on the ICC and leading nations to go beyond token praise and give affiliate teams permanent opportunities. After Nepal’s narrow four-run defeat against England in Mumbai, Chopra said similar performances should lead to regular bilateral series and tournaments, not a fleeting applause once in a World Cup cycle. Nepal’s gutsy run and the sea of Nepali supporters at the Wankhede Stadium has become one of the defining stories of the early stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra warned against treating teams like Nepal as casual visitors on the global stage.
Team India lands in New Delhi for the T20 World Cup match
“I’ll talk about what we’re doing with the affiliate or slightly lower teams. It’s token participation. It’s lip service,” Chopra said. “This is not a laudatory post that they’re doing well and then you remember them two years from now. Chopra emphasized that the excitement surrounding the affiliated teams will quickly fade once the tournament is over. “They came to the wedding and then you forgot about them. You don’t even know where they are for the next two years,” he added. “The teams below have done well in every single game, but that doesn’t stick because we hear that story every two years. We celebrate it, we talk about it, and then we forget about it completely.” “It doesn’t matter to us at all. We move on. We go to our homes and play our bilateral matches and tournaments. Nobody cares about them,” remarked Chopra. Reflecting on Nepal’s inability to close out tight moments, he said such lapses are inevitable without consistent exposure to top cricket. Chopra stressed that improvement will only come through regular competition against stronger teams, insisting that the onus rests on established cricketing nations to engage with colleagues for the overall growth of the game. England, meanwhile, survived a major scare in their Group C opener to see off Nepal by four runs after posting 184 for seven. Nepal responded with a spirited 180 for six and fell patiently despite a late surge led by the unbeaten Lokesh Bam’s 39 off 20 balls. Needing 10 from the final over, Nepal managed just five as Sam Curran delivered accurate yorkers under pressure. Earlier, captain Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee added 82 for the third wicket, both scoring 39, while Kushal Bhurtel provided early impetus with a 17-ball 29. Bam’s late onslaught, which included two sixes from Jofro Archer and subsequent boundaries off Lukesettinga Wood, brought Nepal a historic distance. More than 17,000 fans, who largely support Nepal, packed the Wankhede and roared every moment, underscoring the growing popularity of the sport in the Himalayan nation. Despite the heartbreak, Nepal’s performance left a lasting impression and reinforced Chopra’s call for meaningful and long-term support rather than regular adulation.
