Short Score: West Indies (134/1 in 15.2 overs) beat Nepal (133/8 in 20 overs) by 9 wickets in Mumbai in a Group C match.
WI vs NEP T20 WORLD CUP 2026: MAIN | SCORECARD
West Indies continued their fine form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 with a convincing 9-wicket victory over Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 15 to book their place in the Super 8 stages. The result meant that Nepal saw their campaign cut short as the early promise shown by the Rhinos in the England game was not against the two-time champions that day to vision.
Jason Holder led the way with the ball as he took four wickets for 27 runs and was supported by the rest of the pack. Nepal were completely destroyed by the Windies pacer’s disciplined performance in the early stages of the innings and needed Dipendra Singh Airee’s 58 to reach a respectable total. West Indies started the chase cautiously, knowing they only needed a win to seal their place in the Super 8s, and despite losing Brandon King in the powerplay, a xx-run partnership between Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer was enough to see them over the line.
Hope remained unbeaten on 61 and Hetmyer’s 46 ensured the dominance was finally completed in Mumbai, where the West Indies have never lost a single T20 World Cup match.
HAVE THE RHINOS SPREADED?
In the early days of the T20 World Cup, Nepal was the ultimate underdog story that everyone loved. Former players came to praise after that performance by England and expected to be in the wild card group.
It’s easy to get distracted when a lot of praise comes your way, and this seemed to be the case they were completely outsmarted by Italy. Nepal coach Stuart Law treated his players to an Alex Ferguson-style blowout after their performance against the Azzurri and wanted more against the West Indies.
Mind you, they recently beat the Windies, albeit second-string, in a T20I series before the ICC event. However, the tone of the competition was well set from the very beginning.
Akeal Hosein cleaned up Khushal Bhurtel and then Matthew Forde continued the fine work with a fiery spell. Forde was in for the injured Romario Shepherd and did not disappoint at all. Temper dismissed Rohit Paudel with a sensational delivery and finished with figures of 10 in one of his four overs.
Holder started by taking two wickets in his first two overs as Nepal were reduced to 23 for four in 6.3 overs. Airee was one of the best batsmen for the Rhinos in international cricket and continued to maintain his focus and keep the score moving with ones and twos and the occasional boundary.
One of the heroes against England, Lokesh Bam, struggled to find a rhythm against the West Indies pacers, who took over from the spinners after England’s win.
The biggest problem for Nepal was that Airee couldn’t find any support at the other end and was eventually able to get it from Sompal Kami. The duo switched on the run at the end of the innings, with Sompal unbeaten on 26 off 15.
Airee got to his well-deserved fifty and added the distinction of being the highest score by a Nepalese batsman in the T20 World Cup with his knock.
But on a track at Wankhede that looked like a belier, 133 didn’t seem like enough.
THE WEST INDIES PROVE THEIR CONDEMNITY
West Indies have fond memories when it comes to playing the T20 World Cup in India as they won the 2016 edition in a stunning fashion. This time it was about showing that they are not just dependent on big hitters and are a versatile side.
During the chase, Hope and King never seemed in a race to finish the play and get off the field quickly. Rather, it was more calculated and with minimal risk. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Hope and King ensured the ball headed for the boundary.
Another masterstroke appears to be the use of Hetmyer at No. 3. Often seen as a finisher, he has been pushed into the slot vacated by Nicholas Pooran and has scores of 75, 48*, 64, 23 and 46* in his last five matches. West Indies needed someone to attack the momentum that Nepal gained with the wicket of King and Hetmyer provided it when he stood up to Nepal’s spinners.
It also allowed Hope to take their time in the chase as Hetmyer took it upon himself to relieve the pressure with big shots whenever the pressure was applied.
The duo ensured that 68 runs came from overs 7 to 13 as Hope reached his fifty with a big hit and then got another from Lamichhane to level the score and seal the win. They have one more game against Italy in Kolkata on Thursday, February 19.
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Published on:
February 15, 2026