England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, T20 World Cup Group C on 8 February 2026. England, the defending titans of the format, managed a strong total of 184/7 on the board with contributions from several batsmen in the middle order. After the early onslaught, a composed knock of 55 from Jacob Bethell and 53 from Harry Brook was sufficient to keep England in the hunt. Will Jacks was the firecracker in the death overs with a 39 from just 18 deliveries, boosting England to an above-par score that seemed only slightly too much on a batting-friendly pitch.
Nepal was unfazed by the challenge and came very close to pulling off a massive upset. A superb partnership of 82 for the fourth wicket between Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee anchored their chase, with both players keeping Nepal in the hunt well despite England’s bowling attack maintaining constant pressure. There was even a late cameo from Lokesh Bam, which made the equation down to the last over. But, when it came down to the wire, experience under pressure played a part as Sam Curran bowled an excellent final over and also gave only a few away runs to secure their win by the narrow margin of four runs in one of the closest finishes in this tournament.
England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team Match Summary and Key Performance Indicators
| Category | Team / Player | Performance Details |
| Match | England vs Nepal | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Group C (5th Match) |
| Venue | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| Date | – | 8 February 2026 (D/N) |
| Toss | England | Elected to bat first |
| Result | England | Won by 4 runs (184/7 vs 180/6) |
| Player of the Match | Will Jacks (England) | 39* (18) & 1/17 |
| Cricinfo MVP | Will Jacks (England) | Match-winning all-round performance |
| Top Bowling Impact | Will Jacks (England) | 1 wicket for 17 runs |
| Top Batting Impact | Will Jacks (England) | Quick-fire 39* off 18 balls |
| Points | England / Nepal | England 2 points, Nepal 0 |
Result – England vs Nepal (T20 World Cup 2026)
| Team | Runs | Wickets | Overs | Result |
| England | 184 | 7 | 20.0 | Won by 4 runs |
| Nepal | 180 | 6 | 20.0 | Lost by 4 runs |
England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team (T20 ICC World Cup 2026). This is one of the most exciting matches held at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. After stumbling to 57/3 in the chase, a steady 71-run partnership between Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook kept England on track before some late fuel from Will Jacks handed them a total of 184/7. In reply, Nepal countered with a positive and lively chase, powered by Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee, who built crucial partnerships to ensure that their team would be in the race right through the innings. Nepal fought hard, and their lower order provided a late flourish, but could only manage 180/6 in the end. The game went neck and neck till the last over when Sam Curran, who, for his impressive bowling, displayed a composure & an experience that England showcased, bowled with precision to give the team their win by 4 runs in a thrilling finish, but Nepal too have shown they are capable of producing brilliant players on this stage as they continue to rise the ranks in World Cricket.
Read more: Wankhede Stadium IPL Records | Kapil Dev World Record | Lakhwinder Singh Gill
Batting Highlights
England Innings – Batting Scorecard (T20 World Cup 2026)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Phil Salt | c Lamichhane b Malla | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Jos Buttler † | c †Aasif Sheikh b Yadav | 26 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 152.94 |
| Jacob Bethell | c Lokesh Bam b Airee | 55 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 157.14 |
| Tom Banton | lbw b Lamichhane | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Harry Brook (c) | c Malla b Yadav | 53 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 165.62 |
| Sam Curran | b Airee | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Will Jacks | not out | 39 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 216.66 |
| Jofra Archer | run out (†Aasif Sheikh/Karan KC) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Liam Dawson | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
In the T20 World Cup 2026 match between England and Nepal, England scored a good total of184/7 in 20 overs. Innings was underpinned by good middle order batting – Jacob Bethell (55) and Harry Brook (53) scoring fifties to consolidate the innings after a couple of early wickets. It was also aided by some explosive lower-order batting, with Captain Jos Buttler slamming 26 off just 17 balls and Will Jacks blistering an unbeaten 39 off only 18. Nepal’s bowlers were taking wickets on a regular basis, but England had a very good rate of 9.20, which helped in getting a challenging total for the opposition and making it only by 4 runs to win from Nepal.
Extras
- 5 (lb 1, w 4)
Total
- 184/7 (20 Overs, RR: 9.20)
Did Not Bat
- Adil Rashid
- Luke Wood
Fall of Wickets – England Innings
| Wicket | Batsman | Score | Over |
| 1 | Phil Salt | 5/1 | 1.1 ov |
| 2 | Jos Buttler † | 43/2 | 4.3 ov |
| 3 | Tom Banton | 57/3 | 6.1 ov |
| 4 | Jacob Bethell | 128/4 | 13.4 ov |
| 5 | Sam Curran | 137/5 | 15.3 ov |
| 6 | Harry Brook (c) | 157/6 | 18.2 ov |
| 7 | Jofra Archer | 178/7 | 19.5 ov |
Nepal Innings – Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Kushal Bhurtel | c & b Jacks | 29 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 170.58 |
| Aasif Sheikh † | c Wood b Dawson | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 77.77 |
| Rohit Paudel (c) | c Salt b Dawson | 39 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 114.70 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | c Banton b Curran | 44 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 151.72 |
| Aarif Sheikh | c †Buttler b Archer | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Lokesh Bam | not out | 39 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 195.00 |
| Gulsan Jha | b Wood | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Karan KC | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
In a nail-biting finish, Nepal fought hard while chasing the 185-run target, managing to score three runs less (180/6) than England in 20 overs. Lokesh Bam (39 off 20) played the anchor innings, alongside contributions from Dipendra Singh Airee (44) and Rohit Paudel (39), who kept Nepal in the hunt throughout. Kushal Bhurtel also gave a quick start, scoring 29 from 19. England’s bowlers succeeded in taking wickets at key times, most notably Liam Dawson, who made 2 vital breakthroughs. Nepal’s lower order had fought tooth and nail to try and cross the finishing line but ultimately fell 4 runs short of their target in a nervy finish at Wankhede Stadium.
Extras
- 10 (w 10)
Total
- 180/6 (20 Overs, RR: 9.00)
Did Not Bat
- Sher Malla
- Nandan Yadav
- Sandeep Lamichhane
Read more: Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline
Bowling Figures
England Bowling Scorecard (vs Nepal Batting)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | WD | NB |
| Karan KC | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.66 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sher Malla | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 11.66 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 3 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 7.66 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Nandan Yadav | 3 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 8.33 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Kushal Bhurtel | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 10.00 | 9 |
England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team: England, with their bowlers combining well against Nepal and making it difficult for the opposition to get going, set up a strong fightback. Liam Dawson (2/21) was the most effective and economical bowler, with Will Jacks, Sher Malla, Sam Curran, and Jofra Archer also taking important wickets at crucial junctures. After some costly overs from Adil Rashid and Luke Wood, England contained Nepal to 180/6, successfully defending their total in a nail-biting finish by just 4 runs.
Nepal Bowling Scorecard (England Batting)
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD |
| Luke Wood | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 10.33 | 3 |
| Jofra Archer | 4 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 10.50 | 3 |
| Liam Dawson | 4 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 5.25 | 1 |
| Will Jacks | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 8.50 | 1 |
| Adil Rashid | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 14.00 | 0 |
| Sam Curran | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 | 1 |
England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team. But on the other hand, Nepal’s bowling line-up too had shown great resilience, but could not stop England big hitting batting order. The trio of Dipendra Singh Airee (2/23), Nandan Yadav (2/25), and Tushar Bhandari (0-28) played the key roles, taking seven wickets in the middle overs. While Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane leaked runs at a high economy rate during the rest of the attack, England managed to post a challenging 184/7. Nepal bowled well, but no matter how they tried, England finished at the death sternly.
Key Moments & Tactical Analysis – England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team
England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team. It was a batting-friendly Wankhede pitch, but the toss had a significant impact on the game, with England deciding to bat first. Opting to bat probably helped England in the end, even though they were very much in trouble early on for a top Nepal bowling effort, who would have preferred to field first.
Both teams suffered during the power play. While England lost two early quick wickets, leading them to 57/3, Nepal plummeted as well from a brilliant flying start through Kushal Bhurtel to lose the second wicket when the score was just 47 runs, with only 2 batters dismissed. Sher Malla’s fast start gave the opposition two senses that England may be under attack in the opening stages.
Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook put on a stand of 71 runs in the middle overs, which is when the game turned. This partnership calmed England after their shaky start and helped them recover to a respectable position. England would have been left with a very mediocre total on the board without this recovery.
Will Jacks then had a brief but decisive finishing role with 39 off only 18 balls in the death overs. The late hitting by him, in particular, came on the 19th over, took them above the line of 180 runs for England, and it proved to be the match-winning difference.
Nepal started chasing down the target well as Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee put on an impressive 82-run stand, which kept Nepal in the hunt until late. This attack played a decisive role in not only keeping the chase alive until the final overs but also meant England had attack options.
It was then, particularly, that one of the most crucial tactical moments arrived: England deciding to trust Sam Curran with the last over. He bowled a tight spell under that pressure, giving away only five runs as England secured a last-gasp delight.
Key Stats Comparison – England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team (T20 World Cup 2026)
| Metric | England | Nepal |
| Total Runs | 184/7 | 180/6 |
| Extras | 5 | 10 |
| Boundaries (4s) | 14 | 14 |
| Sixes (6s) | 11 | 7 |
| Run Rate | 9.20 | 9.00 |
| Powerplay Score | 57/3 | 47/2 |
| Highest Partnership | 71 (Bethell–Brook) | 82 (Airee–Paudel) |
| Top Scorer | Jacob Bethell (55) | Dipendra Singh Airee (44) |
| Best Bowler | Liam Dawson (2/21) | Dipendra Singh Airee (2/23) |
Head-to-Head Analysis & Historical Rivalry (T20Is)
Head-to-Head Record (All-Time)
| Metric | England | Nepal |
| Matches Played | 1 | 1 |
| Wins | 1 | 0 |
| Losses | 0 | 1 |
| Win % | 100% | 0% |
In fact, this match is the first time that England and Nepal meet at the international level in T20I cricket. England took the initial point on debut, but it was a much closer contest than anticipated, and so will remain in living memory as the first clash between the two sides.
The two teams had never met in head-to-head play, leaving both without a tactical reference against the other and adding to the unpredictability of this contest. This match now serves as the cornerstone of their future rivalry in world cricket.
Conclusion
It was a last-overs thriller between the England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team at the T20 World Cup 2026. England secured victory, defending a modest 184/7 by just four runs as their middle order floundered and Will Jacks delivered one of the all-time great finishing bursts. In the chase, Nepal put in a good fight with some prudent knocks by Airee, followed by Paudel and Lokesh Bam towards the end, but eventually fell short despite ultimately playing out their innings. This match showed how evenly matched these teams were on the day, as it was certainly a close contest in this 2024 World Cup clash.
FAQs: England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team
Who won the match England Cricket Team vs Nepal National Cricket Team
4 runs in a nail-biting contest during the T20 World Cup 2026.
What was England’s total score?
England had managed 184/7 in their span of 20 overs
What was Nepal’s final score?
Nepal narrowly fell short by a single run at 180/6 in their stipulated 20 overs.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Player of the match: Will Jacks (39* and 1/17)
Where was the match played?
The game was held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
What was the winning margin for England?
England win by 4 runs
This was the first time that England and Nepal were facing each other?
This was the first T20 International match ever between England and Nepal.
