Ten days ago, Nepal’s T20 World Cup campaign had begun with a heartbreak when they fell short by four runs against England, missing out on what might have been an epochal victory. That narrow defeat cast a long shadow, and heavy losses to Italy and the West Indies ensured their tournament never truly gathered momentum. Tuesday, however, offered a final shot at redemption. This time, the Rohit Paudel-led side held their nerve. Backed by thousands of Nepalese fans who once again packed the Wankhede Stadium, Nepal crossed the line against Scotland for a stirring seven-wicket win. Dipendra Singh Airee was at the centre of it all. Chasing 171, Nepal was provided with a steady platform by Kushal Bhurtel. But when Michael Leask struck in the 10th and 12th overs to leave Nepal at 87/2, the contest hung in the balance. Airee walked in with work to do. Calm yet assertive, the right-hander pierced the gaps square of the wicket and punished anything short with authority. In Gulshan Jha, he found the perfect ally. The pair steadily drained Scotland’s hopes as the noise level increased with every boundary and put on a match-winning stand of 73 runs in 36 balls. Airee remained unbeaten on a sparkling 50 off 23 balls – an innings that combined clarity of thought with controlled aggression. As the winning runs were struck from Jha’s bat, the stadium erupted. It was Nepal’s first T20 World Cup win in 12 years, and arrived in front of a sea of red flags and unrestrained emotion. Earlier, Scotland had posted a competitive 170/7, built around Michael Jones’ 71 off 45 balls. Brief Scores: Scotland 170/7 in 20 overs (Michael Jones 71; Sompal Kami 3/25) lost to Nepal 171/3 in 19.2 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 50*, Kushal Bhurtel 43; Michael Leask 3/30) by 7 wickets.
Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami star as Nepal end T20 World Cup campaign with win over Scotland
