In the 5th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 England and Nepal locked their horns at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The English side won the toss and elected to bat first while racking up a big total, but Nepal didn’t just roll over — they fought hard with the bat and almost pulled off something special. Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook smashed half-centuries for England, while Lokesh Bam turned heads with his fearless hitting for Nepal.
England scored 45 runs in the last 3 overs
England’s innings started with a wobble. Phil Salt barely got going, out for just 1 run from two balls. Jos Buttler came in and settled things with 26 off 17. Then Jacob Bethell stepped up, hammering 55 from 35 balls — 4 fours, 4 sixes, and some real grit when England needed it. Harry Brook kept the momentum going, piling on 53 from 32, and Will Jacks chipped in a fiery 39 off just 18 balls. Thanks to those contributions, England posted a hefty 184 for 7 in their 20 overs. The English team scored 45 runs in the last three overs.
Nepal failed to score 10 runs in the final over
Nepal’s reply started slow but steadily built up steam. Kushal Bhurtel cracked 29 from 17 at the top, but his partner Aasif Sheikh only managed 7 from 9. Captain Rohit Paudel held things together with 39 off 34, and Dipendra Singh Airee played a quickfire 44 from 29. As the match reached its climax, Nepal needed 10 runs off the last over. The tension was real. Lokesh Bam, unbeaten on 39 from 20, gave it everything. Nepal needed 6 off the last ball — only 1 came. England squeezed out a win by just 4 runs, with Nepal finishing on 180 for 6. A close finish, but England held their nerve.
This group includes West Indies, Scotland, and Italy, along with Nepal and England. In the first match of this group, West Indies defeated Scotland by 35 runs. After Nepal’s match, it has become clear that this group could turn into a “group of death” as the tournament picks up the pace.
Nepal (Playing XI): Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla
England (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
