Nepal vs Italy highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Italy seal maiden World Cup win with 10-wicket rout of Nepal

Any chance of a comeback? 124 is a perfect total for Italy to chase down and they will feel they have a chance of making history here. However, Nepal have the spinners to turn it around and their seamers up top can be effective as well. The smaller boundaries and the history of the venue suggest that the chances of Nepal winning this game are bleak, but you never know. Stay tuned as the run chase is up next.

Underwhelming batting display - This is not the Nepal we saw just a few nights ago against the mighty English team. They had their desire to do well and played some smart cricket but in the first 20 overs today, they haven't done justice to their talent. The batting was meek to begin with as they tried to just block in the first 3 overs but they did get to a decent start when the first 6 overs ended. However, barring a couple of batters and Karan KC at the death, there wasn't much to write home about and the likes of Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi have a big job on their hands.

Italy's day out with the ball - Spin to win seems to be the mantra at the Wankhede, which is not the usual norm here. Italy have read the conditions perfectly and their spinners have done a fabulous job. The trio of JJ Smuts, Benjamin Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage ruled the roost. Manenti was miserly, Smuts was effective but Kalugamage was prolific in terms of ripping through the Nepal middle-order as he picked up 3 wickets. The pacers did go for a few runs but it didn't matter much as the fielding and catching were spot-on as well.

Advantage Italy at the break - What a stark contrast from the previous game as Italy have stepped up in the field and Nepal seem to have just taken things a bit casual against a side that is ranked lower than them. 123 is a pretty meagre total on the board and right now, the Italians will be feeling really happy with that effort.

A direct hit at the bowler's end and this could be out. The smart replay comes into action and the on-field umpire raises his finger. OUT!

Jaspreet Singh to Lalit Rajbanshi, OUT! LALIT RAJBANSHI IS RUN OUT! A direct hit from Harry Manenti, and that is a fitting end to a sharp and disciplined effort in the field from the Italians. On a good length, on off. Lalit taps it off the front foot in front of cover and hares to the other end. Harry swoops in, picks the ball up and turns around to score a direct hit at the bowling end. Rajbanshi puts in a desperate dive, but to no avail, as he is found short. Nepal have been bowled out for 123!

Jaspreet Singh to Lalit Rajbanshi, Interesting choice! In the channel, on a good length, Lalit Rajbanshi makes a watchful leave. He should be looking to throw his bat at everything and somehow bring Karan KC on strike.

Lalit Rajbanshi is the last batter in for Nepal.

Jaspreet Singh to Sandeep Lamichhane, OUT! CAUGHT! The slower ball does the trick for Jaspreet Singh. Leg-cutter from Jaspreet from over the wicket, on a good length, around off. Lamichhane stays leg side of the ball and swings for the hills. Slices it off the outer half towards cover, where Harry Manenti is looking into the sun, but he moves to his right and settles under the skier. Sandeep just needed to bring Karan back on strike but he opted to take a chance himself.

Last over of the innings coming up. Ali Hasan has one over up his sleeve but given how his last over panned out, Harry Manenti has thrown the ball back to Jaspreet Singh (1-0-8-0). 

Grant Stewart to Sandeep Lamichhane, Grant nails the yorker, on middle and leg. Lamichhane jams it out to long on. Karan KC takes the first run hard but cannot come back for the second. 7 runs off the penultimate over.

Grant Stewart to Karan KC, Karan KC will feel that he missed out! Stewart goes searching for the yorker but ends up serving a low full toss, on middle. Karan swings through but mistimes it to long on. Just a single.

Grant Stewart to Karan KC, Full and drifting in at the toes, Karan stays back in the crease and wrists it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a brace.

Grant Stewart to Sandeep Lamichhane, Stewart spots the batter backing away and he follows him with a fullish ball. Lamichhane works it to long off and crosses over.

Grant Stewart to Karan KC, Very full, outside off, Karan cannot get under it, and he slices it along the ground to deep point for one.

Grant Stewart to Sandeep Lamichhane, Low full toss, at the stumps, Sandeep Lamichhane knocks it to long on and brings Karan KC back on strike.

Ali Hasan to Karan KC, FOUR! Gets it through! Good use of the pace. Ali pushes it across the right-hander, on a good length, Karan waits on it and makes use of the angle. Taps the ball on its head and beats the dive of the backward point fielder to his right for a four. 14 from the over!

Ali Hasan to Karan KC, SIX! Straight as an arrow! Nepal need more of these. On the fuller side, rolling the fingers over the ball, on a length. This is around the off stump and Karan swings through the line. Tonks it over the sight screen for a six. A boundary after 41 balls for Nepal.

Ali Hasan to Sandeep Lamichhane, Pace taken off and bowled into the surface, over middle. Sandeep Lamichhane backs away and smears the pull wide of long on for a run.

Ali Hasan to Karan KC, Pitched up, on middle, Karan drives it to long on and crosses over.

Ali Hasan to Sandeep Lamichhane, Bowls it on a short of a length, on middle. Sandeep Lamichhane hops back and pushes it in the vacant mid on region. The batters think about the second but Ali Hasan is quick to get to the ball and he keeps the batters down to one.

Ali Hasan to Karan KC, Off-cutter, on a back of a length, on the pads. Karan KC glances it wide of short fine leg for a single.

The spinners are all bowled out for Italy. Ali Hasan (2-0-20-1) is back on.

Crishan Kalugamage to Sandeep Lamichhane, Fuller and on middle, Sandeep Lamichhane blocks it out back to the bowler. End of a superb outing for Crishan Kalugamage. The leggie ends with figures of 4-0-18-3.

The next batter is Sandeep Lamichhane.

Who is run out here? Confusion in the middle and Karan KC and Nandan Yadav are both at the same end. It is Yadav who is Run Out!

Crishan Kalugamage to Nandan Yadav, OUT! RUN OUT! Oh, dear! It sums up the kind of day Nepal are having. A two-ball duck for Nandan Yadav. Quicker through the air and bowled with a flatter trajectory, short and on off. Nandan knocks it off the back foot to the left of cover. Karan sets off for the run before turning his back on Yadav. Nandan is more than halfway by then and is at a point of no return. Justin Mosca picks the ball up and lobs it to the keeper. Gian-Piero Meade does the rest with both batters at the same end.

Crishan Kalugamage to Nandan Yadav, Skidding through, shorter and on off, Nandan Yadav stabs it down on the off side.

Nepal in tatters, they have lost the last 4 wickets for just 9 runs. Nandan Yadav is the new batter in.

Crishan Kalugamage to Gulshan Jha, OUT! CAUGHT! Nepal keep finding fielders. Third wicket for Crishan Kalugamage. Googly, sliding across the left-hander, on off. Not all that short for the pull, Jha presses back in his crease, but the ball comes on quicker than he expected, and he cannot go through the complete swing of the bat. The ball catches the upper half of the bat, and it goes straight down the throat of long on. Harry Manenti gobbles it up with ease. From 93/3, Nepal are now 102/7.

Crishan Kalugamage to Karan KC, A bit too short, but Crishan Kalugamage gets away with it. This is on middle, Karan swivels and mistimes the pull to deep mid-wicket. They cross.

Crishan Kalugamage to Karan KC, Crishan bowls it fractionally short, outside off, Karan cuts late but can't get it past backward point.

JJ Smuts to Karan KC, Shorter and on off, Karan dabs it wide of point and takes a quick single.

JJ Smuts to Karan KC, Slower through the air, on a nagging length, on off, Karan taps it to cover.

Three wickets have fallen in the space of just 12 balls. Karan KC is out to bat at number 8.

JJ Smuts to Aarif Sheikh, OUT! CAUGHT! Aarif Sheikh could not have picked out the fielder any better. A half-tracker by Smuts, on middle and leg, there to be put away. Sheikh walks inside the line and unleashes the pull. He picks the bones out of it but neither does he get the elevation, nor is it wide enough of the fielder in the deep. Hits it flat to deep backward square leg, where Marcus Campopiano gets his hands low in front and snaffles it around his shin. Nepal are now 6 down for 100.

JJ Smuts to Gulshan Jha,  A bit of air given this time and this is fuller as well, on middle. Gulshan smears it to wide long on for one more. 100 comes up for Nepal.

JJ Smuts to Aarif Sheikh, From around the wicket to the left-hander, bowled with a bit of a round-arm action. Shorter and on middle. Sheikh punches it to long on for a run.

JJ Smuts to Gulshan Jha, Full and attacking the front pad, on middle. Jha attempts the flick but ekes out an inside edge onto the pads. The batters cross as the ball rolls away on the off side.

Benjamin Manenti to Aarif Sheikh, Oh, that could have been catastrophic for Nepal. Dragged length outside off, Sheikh chops it down past backward point and wants the single. However, the fielder over there is sharp enough to pick it up, and Sheikh has to return. The throw is fired in towards the keeper but the batter makes it back home safely.

Benjamin Manenti to Gulshan Jha, Floated up, on off, Jha eases the drive to long on for a single and gets off the mark.

A brief stay for Lokesh Bam. Gulshan Jha walks in at number 7. Jha is the only left-hander in today's XI for Nepal.

Benjamin Manenti to Lokesh Bam, OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust for Nepal, and the man who nearly pulled off a miracle in the last game has to depart cheaply. Benjamin Manenti tosses this one up, full and outside off. Lokesh Bam sits down and looks to drag the slog sweep over deep mid-wicket. Gets a decent connection as the ball flies down to deep mid-wicket, but doesn't have enough distance to clear the fielder over there. Anthony Mosca sets himself just inside the ropes and pouches it to his right. Nepal are now 96/5.

Benjamin Manenti to Lokesh Bam, Flatter one, attacking middle stump, Bam keeps it out.

Benjamin Manenti to Lokesh Bam, Shortish length at the stumps, a bit slower as well. Lokesh dabs it back on the deck.

Benjamin Manenti to Lokesh Bam, Through the inner ring but there's protection in the deep as well. Full and outside off, Lokesh Bam drills the drive to the left of extra cover, where the fielder dives over it. The man at deep cover runs to his right and cuts it off. Two taken.

Crishan Kalugamage to Lokesh Bam, A touch fuller around off, slides on. Lokesh leans on and gets it off the inner half of the blade towards mid-wicket. The batters pick up a single but Lokesh slips while turning for the second and they settle for the single.

With the fall of Dipendra Singh Airee, the umpires have called for a DRINKS BREAK. Italy have done well so far to prevent partnerships from flourishing, and this breakthrough has come at a timely moment for them. Nepal would have used the break to assess when to shift gears, but with Airee's dismissal, the equation changes slightly. Given the resources they possess in the spin department and the assistance spinners have enjoyed on this surface, Nepal will want to get to 150 and back their spinners to defend it, whereas for Italy, it is about continuing to chip away at the wickets. Lokesh Bam joins Aarif Sheikh out in the middle. Bam nearly took Nepal over the line against England.

Crishan Kalugamage to Dipendra Singh Airee, OUT! CASTLED! A ripper of a googly from Crishan Kalugamage. Crishan lands this one on a length and just outside off, bowling it quicker as well. Dipendra Singh Airee seems not to have picked it as he leans on to drive but the ball pitches and zips back in off the deck. Airee is completely beaten and the ball smashes into the top of the off stump. The bowler is delighted, and the 44-run stand between Airee and Sheikh is finally broken.

Crishan Kalugamage to Aarif Sheikh, Fractionally short again, straighter as well and this is pulled away behind square leg for one more.