England made a winning start to their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, defeating Nepal by a narrow margin of four runs in a thrilling fifth match of the tournament at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Batting first after winning the toss, England posted a competitive total of 184 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was anchored by impressive half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and captain Harry Brook, who steadied the ship after an early setback and ensured England reached a strong total.
England’s innings got off to a shaky start as opener Phil Salt was dismissed for just one run on the first ball of the second over, putting early pressure on the batting side. However, Bethell and Brook rebuilt the innings with a composed partnership, mixing caution with aggression to keep the scoreboard ticking.
In reply, Nepal produced a spirited chase, showing composure and determination against a strong England bowling attack. The Nepali batsmen batted steadily and kept themselves in contention throughout the innings, taking the match down to the final over.
Needing six runs off the last ball to pull off a stunning upset, Nepal fell just short as they failed to clear the boundary, finishing four runs behind England’s total. Despite the loss, Nepal’s performance earned praise for pushing one of the tournament favourites to the limit.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, England’s innings got off to a shaky start as opener Phil Salt was dismissed for just one run on the first ball of the second over.
The early setback was followed by another blow when wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, who looked to counterattack, was removed for 26 by Nandan Yadav, leaving England at 43 for 2 in 4.3 overs.
Tom Banton’s brief stay also ended quickly, as he fell for two runs to Sandeep Lamichhane.
With wickets tumbling, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook steadied the innings with a crucial 71-run partnership. Bethell played with maturity under pressure, registering his third T20 International half-century. He scored 55 off 35 balls before being dismissed by Deepinder Singh Airey. Airey struck again soon after, removing Sam Curran for two to put Nepal back in the contest.
Captain Harry Brook then took charge, continuing his fine form to bring up his sixth T20I half-century. Brook scored 53 off 32 balls before being dismissed by Nandan Yadav, pushing England past the 150-run mark.
In the final overs, Will Jacks provided the finishing touches with a brisk unbeaten 39 off just 18 deliveries. Jofra Archer was run out for one as England closed their innings at 184 for 7 in 20 overs.
Playing XI:
England’s team includes Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Benton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacques, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Luke Wood.
While Nepal’s team includes Kushal Bharti, Asif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Rohit Paudel (captain), Deepinder Singh Airi, Arif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Kiran KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane and Sher Mullah. This is the first time that England and Nepal have faced each other in the T20 format.
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