ICC T20 World Cup: Nepal almost pull off monumental upset before England survive with a bloody nose

The giants had been warned. The minnows had teeth.

In a thrilling chase of 185, Nepal fell agonisingly short by just four runs in a contest that swung one way then the other till the very end. With six needed off the final ball of the game, Lokesh Bam, who had given Nepal hope with some belligerent late-order hitting, could only manage a single of Sam Curran’s low full toss.

Dipendra Singh Airee arrived at the World Cup with questions hanging over his form, having managed just one score of fifty or more in his previous five outings. For Nepal to harbour genuine hopes of progressing, runs from their most experienced middle-order batter were essential, and Airee responded with an innings that combined audacity with composure.

The right-hander walked in at 42 for 2 in the sixth over after Kushal Bhurtel had given Nepal the ideal start with an aggressive Powerplay. England, sensing an opportunity to apply the brakes, had already turned to spin, introducing Will Jacks and Liam Dawson inside the fielding restrictions, with Adil Rashid held back as a trump card.

Airee wasted little time settling in. Two boundaries in his first seven balls allowed him to ride the momentum provided by Bhurtel and put immediate pressure back on the bowlers. Rashid was introduced shortly after the first six overs, a situation that theoretically favoured England’s premier spinner. Airee, however, disrupted that plan instantly, reverse-sweeping Rashid to the boundary. It was a statement shot that hinted at what was to follow.

In partnership with captain Rohit Paudel, Airee began to pace the chase with impressive clarity. While he was happy to use the long handle when required, his ability to rotate strike ensured that the asking rate never went out of control.

Trump card overturned

Rashid’s leg-spin was met with improvisation, while Jacks’ off-spin was handled with a more orthodox approach. Airee cut and swept Jacks for two boundaries in the eighth over, forcing England captain Harry Brook to reshuffle his options.

Paudel played the ideal foil at the other end. He kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and twos, punctuating his innings with the occasional boundary. The fireworks, though, largely came from Airee. In the 12th over, he drove Rashid through the covers before producing the most audacious stroke of the match a few balls later, switch-hitting a full delivery deep into the stands and leaving the crowd and opposition stunned.

At 123 for 2 after 14 overs, Nepal were firmly in the contest and, for a brief moment, appeared to have edged ahead. The drinks break, however, proved a turning point. Airee fell soon after the resumption, dismissed for 44 by Curran, ending an 82-run stand that had placed Nepal on the cusp of a famous result.

England sensed an opening and applied the squeeze immediately. The following over yielded just two runs, and the pressure told when Paudel attempted to accelerate, only to be dismissed for 39 by a superb catch by Phil Salt. With 46 runs required from the final three overs, the responsibility shifted to Nepal’s lower order amid a crowd that grew louder with every delivery.

The chase reignited when Bam took on Jofra Archer, launching him for two sixes in a single over to swing momentum back in Nepal’s favour. Luke Wood struggled to contain the surge in the next over, spraying the ball and allowing Bam to capitalise, leaving Nepal needing just 10 runs from the final over.

The task of preventing an upset fell to Curran. Under immense pressure, the left-armer executed his plans to perfection, mixing pace and length to deny the batters clean contact and sealing a narrow victory that England will reflect upon with relief.

Earlier, England’s innings was shaped by a vital 71-run stand for the fourth wicket between Jacob Bethell and Brook, which rescued them from 57 for 3. Bethell set the tone early with two fours and a six in his first four balls, while Brook provided stability. Late fireworks from Jacks, who struck 39 off 20 balls, lifted England to 184 for 6.

Brief scores: England 184/6 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 55, Harry Brook 53; Dipendra Singh Airee 2/23) beat Nepal 180/6 in 20 overs (Airee 44, Rohit Paudel 39; Liam Dawson 2/21) by four runs.