Published: February 15, 2026 at 5:46 pm
West Indies secured their Super 8 berth at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with a dominant nine-wicket win over Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Put into bat first, Nepal recovered from 46 for 5 to post 133 for 8 in 20 overs. It was never going to be enough against a power-packed West Indies batting line-up that romped to 134 for 1 in 15.2 overs. This was the third successive win for the Caribbean side that now sits atop the competitive Group C with six points.
Nepal have tapered off after taking England the distance in their tournament opener and are out of the reckoning for the next stage.
“It was a challenge, especially the way Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, and Jason Holder were bowling in the powerplay. They used the conditions really well. As a batting unit, we failed again and we need to step up. We are missing out on batting partnerships. We are getting stands of 20 or 30 but not stretching them. As batters, those of us getting starts are not converting them into big scores. Those are the areas where we need to improve,” said Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel.
Akeal Hosein drew first blood, dismissing Kushal Burthel with a ball that skid onto the stumps. Matthew Forde then trapped captain Rohit Paudel leg before wicket before Jason Holder began his spell with the wicket of Aasif Sheikh. Nepal ended the powerplay on 22 for 3, the lowest score in the first six overs in T20 World Cup history.
With their fans turning up in numbers, Nepal batters gave them something to cheer as Dipendra Singh Airee pushed back. After steadying the innings, Airee led the late Nepal charge. He scored 58 off 47, with the help of three fours and three sixes, registering only the second half-century for his country in the T20 World Cup.
His 54-run partership with Sompal Kami (26 not out) took Nepal to a respectable position. They switched gears in the last five overs, reaching the crescendo in the 19th over where they plundered 18 runs.
Holder, who bowled an incredible opening spell of 2 for 4 in two overs, registered his first four-wicket haul in the tournament, finishing at 4 for 27. Hosein, Forde, Shamar Joseph and Roston Chase claimed a wicket each.
“It was a different game, obviously a day game. I thought the ball did a little bit more and held in the surface up front, making it more difficult to hit through the line. We were able to get better movement, which was key. I also thought our bowlers bowled a really tight line to them, which was essential for our execution. Credit not only to me but to Matthew (Forde) as well; I thought he bowled an outstanding spell up front to set the tone, and we were able to adjust from there,” said Jason Holder, who was the Player of the Match.
Speaking about the death bowling, Holder said: “It’s something I’ve been practicing for a while. I’m comfortable enough in the game now to go around the wicket at times and change the angles. For me, it’s about trying not to be predictable by varying my position at the crease. I’m trying to execute more yorkers, maybe on the wide line as well, and understanding when to change the angle for a particular player.”
In response, West Indies mustered 44 in powerplay for the loss of Brandon King’s wicket. King wasn’t at his comfortable best, and handed an easy catch to mid-on off Nandan Yadav, departing for 22.
But Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer did not let Nepal get a toehold into the match. Going full-throttle, Hope struck five fours and three sixes for an unbeaten 61 while Hetmyer scored 46 with the help of four fours and two sixes. It was as comprehensive a win as West Indies would have hoped to clinch their Super 8 berth.
“It’s very pleasing. This is what we set out to do when we got here; that’s one hurdle crossed, and now it’s on to the next stage. The guys put the ball in the right areas. Matthew Forde has been doing that very well at the start of the innings, putting them under pressure for the entire powerplay. Throughout the innings, it was about limiting the flow of runs and picking up wickets. We didn’t get as many as we wanted at the back end, but I’m very happy with the bowlers,” said West Indies skipper Shai Hope.
“We want to continue the brand of cricket we’ve been playing. We’ll focus on the little details we tend to neglect and ensure we are hitting our straps. We’ve been playing really good cricket over the last few games and series; we just need to bring it all together and carry it through to the back end of the tournament,” he added.
Brief scores: Nepal 133 for eight in 20 overs (Dipendra Singh Airee 58, Sompal Kami 26 not out; Jason Holder 4/27) lost to West Indies 134 for one in 15.2 overs (Brandon King 22, Shai Hope 61 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 46 not out).
