Lokesh Bam’s late heroics with the bat were not enough as Nepal lost to the two-time champions in the Group C match in Mumbai.
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Published February 8, 2026
Nepal came very close to a huge comeback against England in the T20 World Cup, falling just four points short, but it was heartbreaking as two-time champions won the Group C match in Mumbai.
Lokesh Bam’s heroics with the bat (39 runs off 20 balls) were not enough to see Nepal cross the line at Wankhede Stadium packed with Nepali fans on Sunday.
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Nepal finished with 180 for 6, handing England a nervy victory and beginning their campaign in a controversial cricket tournament.
They appeared to have done enough to take the game out of Nepal’s reach when England captain Harry Brook, 53, and teammate Jacob Bethel, 55, hit fifty to lift England to 184-7.
However, Rohit Paudel, along with star all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airi, produced a captain’s innings of his own and put Nepal on track for a shock victory.
The departure of the two slowed Nepal’s progress, but Lokesh resumed his big hits against the wayward bowling of England’s seamers.
Needing 10 more points from the final over, the Rhinos were unable to get Sam Curran’s accurate bowling over the boundary and managed to score just six.
Hundreds of Rhinos fans who had traveled across the border were disappointed.
England, who chose to bat first at the Wankhede Stadium, found themselves in a difficult situation as they were 57-3 in the seventh over.
Shah Mara hit the first ball on his World Cup debut, dismissing Phil Salt with a single shot, and the pressure on England increased as Jos Buttler and Tom Banton fell in quick succession.
Bethel has had no trouble adapting to the nature of the track, where other hitters find it difficult to make shots. He and Brook combined for 71 runs on 45 pitches to rebuild the inning.
Ily (44 years old) and skipper Paudel (39 years old) continued to chase Nepal with 82 runs off 54 balls.
Curran brought relief to the English camp when he captured Eyrie at the brink, and Paudel departed soon after.
Bam turned the game around by scoring six points in a row against Jofra Archer.
With Nepal needing 10 runs by Curran’s final over, Bam needed to hit a six off the last ball, but managed just one as England breathed a huge sigh of relief.
