England beat Nepal T20 World Cup hopes by just four runs in a tense last-ball finish in Mumbai, avoiding one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
Chasing 185 for victory, Nepal stayed in the contest until the final delivery. Lokesh Bam stood firm at the crease and needed a six off the last ball to seal a famous win. However, Sam Curran held his nerve and restricted him to a single.
As a result, Nepal finished on 180 for six. The narrow defeat ended a courageous chase that pushed England to the edge in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium crowd.
Earlier, England built a strong total through aggressive batting in the middle overs. Jacob Bethell struck a fluent 55, while Harry Brook added a brisk 53. Their partnership gave England momentum after a cautious start.
Later, Will Jacks provided the decisive push. He smashed three sixes in the final over and remained unbeaten on 39 from 18 balls. Thanks to that late surge, England posted 184 for seven.
England prevail in Mumbai after a stunning fightback from Nepal 🔥#T20WorldCup 📝: https://t.co/z8A3OwQEct pic.twitter.com/E8nudE2Dx4
— ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2026Nepal responded with confidence. Kushal Bhurtel set the tone by scoring 29 from 17 balls. He attacked the bowling early before Jacks removed him with a caught-and-bowled dismissal.
Captain Rohit Paudel then steadied the innings alongside Dipendra Singh Airee. Together, they guided Nepal past 100 in the 12th over and kept the chase under control.
Although Jofra Archer struggled in his opening spell, he returned with better control. He slowed the scoring and conceded only six runs across his next two overs. Even so, Nepal continued to attack from the other end.
Dipendra Singh Airee took on Adil Rashid and shifted momentum again. He struck two sixes and a four in one over, forcing England to rethink their plans. At that stage, Nepal needed just 62 runs from six overs with wickets in hand.
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Sam Curran delivered a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Airee for 44. That wicket changed the rhythm of the chase and allowed England to regroup.
Soon after, Paudel fell for 39, leaving Nepal under pressure despite staying within reach. Archer then returned for the penultimate over but conceded 22 runs, including three sixes to Lokesh Bam.
That over left Nepal needing 24 from the final 12 balls. Despite the late fireworks, England defended the target by four runs.
Liam Dawson emerged as England’s most effective bowler with figures of two for 21. England escaped, but Nepal earned widespread praise for pushing the defending champions to the brink.
