T20 World Cup: West Indies race to victory to reach Super 8s and knock out Nepal
West Indies secured a comfortable nine-wicket win over Nepal on Sunday (ET) at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, becoming the first side to qualify for the Super 8s while eliminating Nepal from the tournament.
Hope and Hetmyer power a clinical chase
Set 134 to win, the West Indies dismantled the target with authority, reaching 134 for 1 in just 15. 2 overs. Captain Shai Hope anchored the innings with an unbeaten 61 from 44 balls, striking three sixes and five fours, while Shimron Hetmyer finished 46 not out from 32 deliveries. The pair put on an unbroken 91-run stand that removed any doubt of a late Nepalese resurgence and wrapped up the chase with 28 balls to spare.
The Caribbean side made an assertive start, racing to 44 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. Brandon King was the only wicket to fall in the run chase, but the dismissal did little to slow the momentum as Hope and Hetmyer rotated strike efficiently and punished anything loose. The measured approach blended caution with calculated aggression, leaving Nepal unable to apply pressure in the field during the latter stages of the contest.
Nepal’s fight led by Dipendra Singh Airee proves insufficient
Nepal, searching for a first win of the tournament, struggled early after being put in to bat. They slipped to 22 for 3 inside the powerplay and later found themselves in deeper trouble at 23 for 4 and 46 for 5 by the 11th over. The top and middle order failed to build sustained partnerships, leaving the lower order to try to shepherd the innings to a more competitive total.
Dipendra Singh Airee produced the main resistance, scoring a patient 58 off 47 balls and sharing a 54-run seventh-wicket partnership with Sompal Kami, who provided late hitting with an unbeaten 26 from 15 deliveries. That stand pushed Nepal beyond the 100 mark, but the eventual 133 for 8 was always going to be a modest target against a free-scoring West Indies batting unit.
In the bowling department, Jason Holder led the attack with a four-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 4 for 27, while Matthew Forde contributed a tight spell that helped choke the scoring in the middle overs. Those disciplined efforts with the ball left Nepal with too much to do when they bowled, and the chase never became tense.
Implications and what’s next
The victory not only keeps West Indies unbeaten in the group but also confirms their place in the Super 8s, the next stage of the T20 World Cup. The two-time champions arrived in Mumbai having already beaten Scotland and England, and this result cements their credentials as one of the tournament favourites.
Nepal, meanwhile, are eliminated from further contention after finishing their group without a win. The side showed patches of resistance and individual promise, but inconsistent starts and a lack of partnerships proved the decisive factors.
West Indies will conclude the group stage with a fixture against Italy, while Nepal head back with lessons to build on from spirited individual displays amid a challenging campaign.
