Inside India’s clean session ahead of the T20 World Cup match against Namibia
Better known for football, Italy stunned Nepal with a dominant 10-wicket win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On their World Cup debut, Italy beat Nepal by just 123 runs thanks to brilliant spells from spinners Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti. Italy’s openers, brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca, then chased the target with ease, hitting boundaries at will and finishing the game with plenty of balls.It was a special moment for Italy after losing their first match against Scotland. Acting captain Harry Manenti called the win a dream come true. “It’s really special. It’s something that a lot of people in Italy, a lot of people in this group, have dreamed of,” he said. “One day we didn’t quite make it, but today we bounced back and showed the world what we’ve got.”Man of the match Kalugamage said the win meant a lot to him and his teammates. “I always wanted to help the team win the game and do my best for my nation, Italy – I’m happy,” he said. “These are my brothers. I’m really happy,” he added.Nepal captain Rohit Paudel admitted his team was lagging behind but praised Italy’s performance. “We have to be more consistent and today was the day we did that, but not to take credit away from Italy,” he said. “They played really well today and credit goes to them,” he stated.The win moved Italy up the group table and showed that even cricket’s new nations can make a big impact on the world stage.