The fans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai gave Nepal a standing ovation after their narrow four-run loss to England in a last-ball thriller at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.
The Nepali team took a round of the stadium after the match, acknowledging the support from their travelling fans as well as from locals.
Watch:
A fight for the ages! 👏
Team Nepal will take plenty of inspiration from this performance, as will their fans who gave it their all ❤️
Watch them next in #T20WorldCup 👉 #NEPvITA | THU, 12 FEB, 3 PM pic.twitter.com/a3GRcIKLno
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 8, 2026
The appreciation of Nepal’s fight was not limited to the ground, as former cricketers too lauded their heroic effort on social media.
“Huge respect to Nepal. Took
on one of the best teams in the world, stayed in the fight till the very last ball and showed what belief and heart can do. This is how teams grow and champions rise. The cricketing world is watching!” Yuvraj Singh wrote in an Instagram story.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shared on X, “Incredible from Nepal. They are surely among the best of the emerging cricketing nations. Huge potential and upside.”
“So the finishing touches were missing, but Nepal are clearly on the right path. Great to see them put England under the pump,” tweeted Irfan Pathan.
Dale Steyn also expressed admiration for the team, writing on X, “Nepal, I offer my services to you if you ever need ’em! Up, up and UP!”
How Nepal Lost To England?
England narrowly defeated Nepal by four runs in a match full of twists and turns.
After opting to bat at Wankhede Stadium, England struggled at 57/3 in the seventh over. Bethell and Brook steadied the innings with a 71-run partnership, while Will Jacks added a vital unbeaten 39 off 18 balls, including three sixes in the final over from Karan Chhetri. England seemed set for a dominant win after captain Harry Brook (53) and Jacob Bethell (55) powered them to 184/7
The total seemed daunting for Nepal. However, Rohit Paudel and his team showed resilience in their chase, only to fall just short of a historic win.
Kushal Bhurtel (29), Paudel (39), and Dipendra Singh Airee (44) kept Nepal in contention, and Lokesh Bam intensified the pressure with his late onslaught. England’s Adil Rashid was removed from the attack after three expensive overs, while Bam hit consecutive sixes off speedster Jofra Archer.
With the tension mounting, Bam continued the assault, putting Nepal in a position where they needed 10 runs from the final over by Sam Curran. Curran, maintaining his composure, conceded only four runs in five balls, setting up a nail-biting finish with Bam poised to win the match with a six. Curran’s final delivery, a low full toss, limited Bam to a single.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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