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Tendulkar Hails Italy's Historic T20 WC Win, A Football Nation's Cricket Mark

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar congratulated Italy on their commanding first-ever ICC T20 World Cup victory, a 10-wicket win over Nepal. The win was powered by a record 124-run opening partnership between brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca, the highest-ever stand by siblings in T20 WC history. Tendulkar highlighted that a nation famous for football making its mark in cricket shows the sport's beautiful global expansion. Italy, a four-time FIFA World Cup champion making its T20 WC debut, bundled out Nepal for 123 before the Moscas chased the target in just 12.4 overs.

Key Points: Sachin Tendulkar Praises Italy's First T20 World Cup Victory

  • Italy's first-ever T20 World Cup win
  • 10-wicket victory over Nepal
  • Mosca brothers' record 124-run stand
  • Sachin Tendulkar hails cricket's global growth
  • Associate nation's historic achievement
2 min read

"Proud footballing nation making its mark...": Tendulkar hails Italy's maiden ICC T20 WC win

Sachin Tendulkar congratulates Italy on their maiden ICC T20 World Cup win, a 10-wicket victory over Nepal led by the Mosca brothers' record partnership.

"Proud footballing nation making its mark...": Tendulkar hails Italy's maiden ICC T20 WC win
"A proud footballing nation making its mark in cricket reminds us how beautifully the game is spreading across the globe. - Sachin Tendulkar"

New Delhi, February 12

Following Italy's landmark win over Nepal in the ICC T20 World Cup, Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar hailed them for their first-ever win in the tournament's history, pointing to how a "proud footballing nation" making its mark in cricket is a reminder of cricket's growth worldwide.

Justin and Anthony Mosca registered the highest partnership by siblings in T20 WC history, helping Italy, the T20 WC debutants, secure their first-ever T20 World Cup win, a thumping 10-wicket over Nepal on Thursday.

Taking to X, Tendulkar wrote, "Congratulations to Italy on their first-ever T20 World Cup win, and in such commanding fashion! A proud footballing nation making its mark in cricket reminds us how beautifully the game is spreading across the globe."

The four-time FIFA World Cup champions, Italy, who last won the tournament in 2006, had not qualified for the past two FIFA WCs but have made the T20 World Cup squad. Their last FIFA WC back in 2014 saw them secure a 22nd-place finish and bow out in the group stage.

Italy won the toss and opted to bowl first. Nepal was bundled out for just 123 in 19.3 overs, with Aarif Sheikh (27 in 24 balls, with three fours), skipper Rohit Paudel (23 in 14 balls, with two sixes) and Aasif Sheikh (20 in 20 balls, with two fours) putting on important scores.

Crishan Kalugamage (3/18 in four overs) and Ben Manenti (2/9 in four overs) were amongst the top bowlers for Italy.

During the chase, Justin Mosca (60* in 44 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Anthony Mosca (62* in 32 balls, with three fours and six sixes) single-handedly chased down the target, putting in 124 run stand for the first wicket in 12.4 overs.

This is the highest partnership between siblings in T20 WC history, surpassing the 96-run partnership between Pakistan's Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal against Australia in the 2014 edition.

This is also the third 100-plus run opening stand by an associate nation in T20 WCs, with Aqib Ilyas & Jatinder Singh (131* for Oman against Papua New Guinea in 2021) and Michael Jones & George Munsey (126 for Scotland against Italy, 2026) being the other two.

Also, this is the second 10-wicket win for an associate team in T20 WCs, after Oman secured a 10-wicket win over PNG back in 2021.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Sachin sir is right. Seeing a football giant like Italy embrace cricket is wonderful for the global growth of the game. Maybe one day we'll have a proper India vs Italy match in a World Cup! The more nations, the better the competition.
A
Aman W
As a cricket fan, I love this. But honestly, a 10-wicket win over Nepal is a bit of a shock. Nepal is usually quite competitive among associate nations. Hope our neighbours bounce back stronger.
P
Priyanka N
The sibling record is the sweetest part! Brothers playing together for their country and breaking a world record... what a dream. Heartwarming story amidst all the sports news. ❤️
D
David E
Interesting to see the data point about associate nations' opening stands. ICC's work in expanding the game is showing results. Italy beating Scotland in 2026 (as mentioned) and now this win shows they are here to stay.
K
Karthik V
Respect to Tendulkar for always supporting the growth of cricket globally. But while we celebrate Italy, let's not forget we need to nurture our own domestic structure more. Some of our IPL stars struggle at the international level.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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