On a heartwarming yet historic night at the Wankhede Stadium, England barely escaped a monumental upset by defeating Nepal by just four runs T20 World Cup 2026. Chasing 185, Nepal were agonizingly behind in a last-ball thriller on February 8, 2026, pushing the defending champions to the absolute limit. Although England walked away with the points, the spirit shown by the Associate nation stunned the global cricket community. The match will be remembered not for the result but for the incredible resilience of the rising Nepali side.
T20 World Cup 2026: Nepal players under Rohit Paudel greet Wankhede crowd with emotional pride
Despite the crushing weight of the four-run defeat, the Nepalese players displayed extraordinary grace and composure in a moment that transcended the game itself. After the last delivery led by the captain Rohit Paudelthe entire squad took a lap of honor around the Wankhede Stadium to show their appreciation to the fans. The stadium saw over 17,000 spectators, a remarkable figure for a fixture outside India, with a massive, vocal section of Nepali supporters turning the stands into a sea of red and blue.
While the players were understandably hurt after coming so close to a historic victory, they remained dignified and waved to supporters who had traveled from all over the world to witness their journey. This round was a tribute to their loyal fans and a tribute to the Mumbai crowd who cheered their every boundary, cementing their reputation as Nepal’s ‘people’s team’. T20 World Cup 2026.
We present the video:
A fight for the ages! 👏
Team Nepal will take a lot of inspiration from this performance and so will their fans who gave everything ❤️
Follow them in the next part #T20WorldCup 👉 #NEPvITA | WEDNESDAY, February 12, 3:00 p.m pic.twitter.com/a3GRcIKLno
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 8, 2026
Also READ: Fans react if England survive Nepal scare with dramatic win at T20 World Cup 2026.
England survived a late scare in a T20 World Cup 2026 thriller at the Wankhede against Nepal
After being put into bat, England posted 184/7, mainly thanks to the debutant Jacob Bethell55 and Harry Brook’s 53, though the Nepalese bowlers kept the pressure on. Dipendra Singh Airee Taking 2/23. In response, Nepal’s high command attacked fearlessly Rohit Paudel (39) and Dipendra Airee (44) put together a partnership of 82 to bring them to the brink of victory.
The required ratio remained manageable Sam Curran and Liam Dawson hit successively to remove accumulated batters. However, Lokesh Bam He reignited the chase with a sensational 39* off 20 balls and reduced the equation to 10 runs needed in the final over. With the Wankhede crowd erupting, Curran held his nerve and bowled perfect yorkers to concede just five runs. Nepal finished on 180/6 for the loss of just four runs in a contest that exposed England’s death-bowling frailties. The win keeps England’s campaign alive but Nepal were given a standing ovation as they pushed the world champions into the final ball.
Also READ: Jacob Bethell equals Kevin Pietersen with a rare England feat against Nepal in T20 World Cup 2026.
