Historic Upset: Nepal Triumphs Over West Indies in 1st T20I

Nepal made history by defeating the two-time world champion West Indies by 19 runs in their opening T20 International match in Sharjah, marking their first-ever win against a Full ICC Member nation. Although Nepal had previously beaten Afghanistan in 2014, Afghanistan was still an Associate Member at the time.

This victory stands as Nepal’s most significant achievement on the international cricket stage, occurring in their inaugural T20I encounter with the Caribbean team and their first bilateral series against a Full Member.

After being sent in to bat, Nepal scored 148 for 8 and then restricted the West Indies to 129 for 9. Early in the match, Akeal Hosein and Jason Holder reduced Nepal to 12 for 2 in the fourth over. However, Nepal’s captain, Rohit Paudel (38), and Kushal Malla (30) stabilized the innings with their 58-run partnership before both were quickly dismissed by debutant Navin Bidaisee.

Malla kickstarted Nepal’s momentum with two sixes, while Dipendra Singh Airee (24) and Gulsan Jha contributed valuable runs to maintain the scoreboard’s movement. Although Holder claimed three wickets in the 19th over, West Indies’ inconsistent fielding allowed Nepal to reach a competitive total of 148 for 8.

In their chase, West Indies got off to a poor start when Kyle Mayers was run out by a sharp throw from Bhurtel. Debutant Ackeem Auguste briefly resisted with two sixes, but the Nepalese spinners soon tightened their grip on the game.

Lalit Rajbanshi and Paudel delivered tight middle-over spells, placing West Indies in trouble. Airee’s brilliant fielding effort resulted in Keacy Carty being run out, and Holder’s early dismissal by Bhurtel dampened the Caribbean side’s prospects further. Though Hosein and Fabian Allen managed a few late strikes, Karan KC dismissed Hosein in the 19th over, effectively securing Nepal’s victory.

Published on September 28, 2025.