Nepal Narrowly Misses Historic Upset Against England in Thrilling T20 World Cup Encounter

As Luke Wood was bowling the 19th over of this exciting T20 World Cup match at Wankhede Stadium, Sam Curran, stationed at square leg, had already started his warm-up.

Although Wood conceded 3 wides and 14 runs in that over while taking Gulshan Jha's wicket, it was decided that Curran would bowl the final over.

Nepal required 10 runs to win in the last over. Lokesh Bam, who had scored 35 runs off 15 balls, was on strike.

The wind blowing from the Arabian Sea offered some relief from the afternoon heat but could not ease the tension in the stadium. As Curran prepared himself to stop Nepal from achieving the biggest win in their history and a sensational World Cup upset, more than 17,000 spectators (many of whom were Nepali supporters) rose from their seats. They were ready to witness history being made.

Despite temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, thousands of Nepali supporters had gathered at Marine Drive since early morning. Arriving from various parts of Nepal and India, they entered the stadium adorned in traditional Dhaka topi caps and deep blue-red jerseys. With Nepali flags painted on their cheeks, they made the stadium roar when England lost 3 wickets within the first 7 overs.

Even as Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook attempted to steady England's innings, the cheering from the Nepali supporters kept them under pressure. Later, even the English players praised the electrifying atmosphere created by the Nepali fans.

When the partnership between Bethell and Brook threatened to push England close to 200, Nepal made a comeback in the game by conceding only 19 runs and taking 2 wickets between the 14th and 17th overs.

However, bowling in the 'death overs' has always been Nepal's weak point. Led by Will Jacks, England added 45 runs in the last 3 overs to set a massive target of 185 runs.

For Nepal, who had rarely managed victories against Full Member nations except for two wins in the series against the West Indies last year, this target was akin to climbing Mount Everest. The question was: could the 'Cardiac Kids' achieve this?

Kushal Malla made his intentions clear by hitting three consecutive fours off Jofra Archer's first over. Malla batted aggressively, disregarding Archer, who was bowling at a speed of 140 km/h.

He lifted the crowd by hitting a four off a fine leg boundary and a massive six over deep mid-wicket off Luke Wood's bowling. However, by the end of the powerplay, both Malla and his opening partner, Asif Sheikh, were out.

Lack of continuous match experience against big teams is a problem for Associate nations. But Nepal did not lose its rhythm. Captain Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee continued their aggressive batting.

They scored 42 runs in 3 overs from Adil Rashid, putting pressure on the world-class spinner. Airee hit a six and a four through reverse sweep shots.

When Archer came to bowl his final over, Nepal needed 2 runs per ball in the last 3 overs. The atmosphere calmed down after Archer dismissed Aarif Sheikh, but Lokesh Bam immediately reignited the excitement by hitting two consecutive sixes off Archer. Bam later said, 'I was playing based on the ball and the situation, not the bowler.'

A thrilling finish is not new for Nepal. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Nepal had fallen short of victory against Bangladesh and South Africa. The pain of losing by just 1 run against South Africa on the last ball, when 2 runs were needed, was still fresh.

This time, Gulshan Jha was bowled on the last ball of the 19th over. Now, the responsibility of taking Nepal to the summit rested on Lokesh Bam's shoulders. However, Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament in the 2022 World Cup, held Nepal back by bowling accurate yorkers in the final over.

'We almost defeated a Test nation, so there is disappointment,' said Bam. He was waiting for one mistake from Curran. 'One big shot could have changed the scene. We played extremely well. We will carry this belief into the next match.'

'Player of the Match' Will Jacks also admitted that his 'heart rate increased' when Curran bowled the final over and that England did not expect the game to go down to the last ball.

This defeat has certainly saddened the hearts of Nepali players and supporters. But there is also pride in demonstrating the courage and skill to compete eye-to-eye with the world's best teams. The players are committed to improving their weaknesses.

Nepal's 'Cardiac Kids' will continue to make our hearts race and will remain established as an exciting team in world cricket. The next stage, perhaps, will see them become the 'Cathartic Kids'.