Nepal ends 12-year drought by defeating Scotland by 7 wickets

Mumbai: In the T20 World Cup, Nepal team performed brilliantly in its final match and defeated Scotland by seven wickets. The hero of this victory was Deependra Singh Airi, who helped the team achieve the target by scoring an excellent half-century.

The match was a special one for Nepal, as the team departed the competition with its first and final win in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Michael Jones’ stormy half-century

In this Group C match, Scotland, batting first, scored 170 runs at the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Michael Jones scored a brilliant half-century for the team, in which he scored 71 runs in 45 balls and put Scotland in a challenging position. His performance included 3 sixes and 8 fours.

Tournament ends with victory

Nepal ended its campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026 with a win. In the 33rd match of this tournament, Nepal defeated Scotland by seven wickets. Earlier, Nepal had to face defeat by one run in a very close match against England. This victory boosted the confidence of the team and made them experience victory in the World Cup after a long time. This is Nepal’s first win in the T20 World Cup since 2014. Last year, Nepal also participated in the 2024 tournament but they did not get a chance to win any match there.

Nepal’s fast start

Chasing the target, Nepal team achieved a strong position thanks to the fast start of Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Shaikh. Both of them added 56 runs in the powerplay without losing any wicket. Bhurtel contributed 43 runs on 35 balls and Asif contributed 33 runs on 27 balls. After this, captain Rohit Paudel lost his wicket after scoring 16 runs. Till the 14th over, Nepal’s score was 98 runs for three wickets, while more runs were still to be scored to win.

Deependra Singh Airi’s match winning innings

After this, Deependra Singh Airi and Gulshan Jha made a match-winning partnership for the fourth wicket. Both added 73 unbeaten runs in 36 balls. Nepal needed 65 runs in the last 31 balls, but Deependra Singh Airi changed the mood of the game by batting aggressively. He scored an unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls, which included four fours and three sixes. Gulshan Jha also supported him well by scoring 24 runs in 17 balls. Nepal achieved the target in the last over and won by seven wickets.

Nepal’s memorable victory

With this victory, Nepal ended its T20 World Cup 2026 journey in a respectable manner. Deependra Singh Airi’s amazing innings and the steady comeback of the bowlers gave this team a memorable victory, which is considered a positive sign for Nepal cricket.